November 22, 2009
What's Inside:
H1N1 declared a national emergency
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama declared the H1N1 virus outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.
The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the U.S. and production delays undercutting the government’s initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.
Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million vaccine doses have gone out to health departments, doctor’s offices and other providers, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.
Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.
Health and Human Services chief Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission.
Some hospitals have opened drive-thrus and drive-up tent clinics to screen and treat H1N1 patients. The idea is to keep infectious people out of regular emergency rooms and away from other sick patients.
Hospitals could modify patient rules — for example, requiring them to give less information during a hectic time — to quicken access to treatment, with government approval, under the declaration.
It also addresses a financial question for hospitals — reimbursement for treating people at sites not typically approved. For instance, federal rules do not allow hospitals to put up treatment tents more than 250 yards away from the doors; if the tents are 300 yards or more away, typically federal dollars won’t go to pay for treatment.
Administration officials said those rules might not make sense while fighting the H1N1 virus, especially if the best piece of pavement is in the middle of a parking lot and some medical centers already are putting in place parts of their emergency plans.
The national emergency declaration was the second of two steps needed to give Sebelius extraordinary powers during a crisis.
On April 26, the administration declared H1N1 a public health emergency, allowing the shipment of roughly 12 million doses of flu-fighting medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they eventually needed them. At the time, there were 20 confirmed cases in the U.S. of people recovering easily. There was no vaccine against H1N1, but the CDC had taken the initial step necessary for producing one.
“As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic,” Obama wrote in Saturday’s declaration.
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SJSD should read this and now put a plan in effect and realease your plan to the community.Look at the number of deaths sure it is low but ask yourselfs would you want this to be one of your children.Be proactive not reactive.
Also why can Andrew County get the vacine for people with underlying heath issues and Buchanan County cannot and does not seem to know when they will get it.
Swine flu was downplayed and pretty much ignored. They waited all summer until school started to get even enough vaccine for a few? Did they think it would just go away on its own? China had the vaccine developed and started inoculations in August.And we get a limited amount in October? What this abbreviated article that fits the down playing doesen't say is...over 20,000 people have had it. One child dying from it is unacceptable. The action (or lack of) by the government is deplorable. But now it is a big emergency.
****“As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic,” Obama wrote in Saturday’s declaration.***
No you haven't , so save your pep talk. Because you didn't do anything to start with but tell Biden to shut up, your left with a garden hose to put out a house fire.When did your kids get the vaccine Hussien?? April???
interesting how just a few short months ago we read so many comments from the far right on how this was being over blown and nothing more than what a normal cycle of the flu might be. well the threat is no longer knocking at the door and has come into the country with a vengeance especially to the young and others with compromised immunity. a good example of what happens when people play politics over matters of importance to the country.
As per usual, Obama is placing the blame on someone else for his ineptness...however this time it isn't the previous administration. IT'S the chickens that are to blame! Because the production of the vaccine is a slow and antiquated process that relies on millions of chicken eggs, the chickens are holding up the process. Obama is the one that laid a big goose egg this time!
Directtalk, you're a fool.
The "far right" as you put it, are the ones claiming the vaccine was created to kill millions. If you're going to be so quick to try and make this a left v. right thing try and get your factions straight.
Dunce.
According to this article, Obama has ceded Federal control to the local hospitals to allow flexibility in addressing this issue. It actually makes sense to me. I an in no way an Obama fan, but in this instance he is actually doing it the right way.
try reading through the posts of the last 90 days or so and what was said in my previous post. you might also want to reread your last comment as well which further makes my case. looks like someone needs to get their "factions" straight. btw, you have been told before your smart mouth means nothing to me or anyone else in these debates but certainly confirms a level of maturity and thinking.
Clearly Bush and Chenney monopolized all the chicken farms for their own benefit.They probably own them. In fact, the swine flu probably started on Bush's ranch...yeah..that's it!! It is Bush's fault!! But no worries..Barry will do something "unprecedented" and save us all!! Well...except for a few kids and some old people that dies..but what the heck, they don't vote anyway.
when trying to make a point it has always been smart to start by calling someone a fool!i don't think this is a right versus left topic.in no way would bush and cheney own a chicken farm. i do agree with w.j.g. that it was handled the right way. far right and far left are so far out there that they have trouble believing anything that is not told to them by their own people.i don't think anyone here are fools, they are just misinformed or don't understand like i do.and even then i am misunderstood.or i misunderstand.we don't see eye to eye a lot of the times.but we are going to understand it the way we do without help from others.especially not from people calling us fools.
This should have happened two months ago. Good job Quick Draw Obama!
Now, perhaps, we can get around to making a decision about Afganistan since October is shaping up to be the deadliest month since the war began.
Oh wait, first, Barry probably needs to take a couple of months to pick out a pony for his kids or maybe it is time for another vacation.
Or he is bashing FOX or out campaigning for a mayor or govenor that HE wants in office to support him!
DonaldO is certainly right about one thing, starting a debate by calling your opponent a fool is a sure fire way to throw civilized discourse and persausive arguement out the window.
I am a Libertarian. I don't have to dance the right/left dance. There is a better way, some of you folks should look into it. ;)
hey azmaggie, cut the guy a break. You know that silencing his critics is a full time job. Heck, Hitler had to hire a group of people to do that for him - the Gestapo. ; )
Libertarians aren't bad, but I still don't fully agree with them. I would recommend anyone politically motivated though to check all of their options.
There is no such thing as persuasive arguments anymore. Look at the government, look at the media.
Hey, if our president of the United States can flap off at the gums without knowing what the hell he's talking about why should I act differently?
The guy runs his mouth about police affairs on national news. He runs his mouth about FOX, and seriously, who the hell cares what FOX airs? Seriously? It's like I have to tell my children to stop fighting and ignore each other.
Screw this and screw him.