Government Prepares for Nationwide H1N1 Vaccines

Yesterday the U.S. government held an H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit at the National Institutes of Health in an effort to promote its nationwide fall flu preparedness efforts (read the press release here). By mid-October, the federal government should receive around 100 million doses of vaccine, for which children, pregnant women, adults with chronic illnesses, and healthcare workers would get first priority. The Washington Post claims that children could be vaccinated at school in a "mass campaign not seen since the polio epidemics of the 1950s."

The government has created a new website consolidating influenza information at www.flu.gov. You can find the latest CDC Recommendations for State and Local Planning for a 2009 Novel H1N1 Influenza Vaccination Program on the CDC website.

For additional resources, see our guide.