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pandemic most countries with adequate surveillance.
period
29. "Efforts by the federal government to prepare for pandemic influenza at the national level
include a $100 million DHHS initiative in 2003 to build U.S. vaccine production.
30. Several agencies within Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) — including the
Office of the Secretary, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CDC, and the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — are in the process of working with vaccine
manufacturers to facilitate production of pilot vaccine lots for both H5N1 and H9N2 strains as
well as contracting for the manufacturing of 2 million doses of an H5N1 vaccine.
31. On October 27, 2005, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded a $62.5 million
contract to Chiron Corporation to manufacture an avian influenza vaccine designed to protect
against the H5N1 influenza virus strain. This followed a previous awarded $100 million contract
to sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, for avian flu vaccine.
32. According to The New York Times as of March 2006, "governments worldwide have spent
billions planning for a potential influenza pandemic: buying medicines, running disaster drills,
[and] developing strategies for tighter border controls" due to the H5N1 threat. [83]
33. In October 2005, President Bush urged bird flu vaccine manufacturers to increase their
production. [94]
34. On November 1, 2005 President Bush submitted a request to Congress for $7.1 billion to
begin implementing the National Strategy To Safeguard Against The Danger of Pandemic
Influenza. The request includes $251 million to detect and contain outbreaks before they spread
around the world; $2.8 billion to accelerate development of cell-culture technology; $800 million
for development of new treatments and vaccines; $1.519 billion for the Departments of Health
and Human Services (HHS) and Defense to purchase influenza vaccines; $1.029 billion to
stockpile antiviral medications; and $644 million to ensure that all levels of government are
prepared to respond to a pandemic outbreak. [96]
35. On 6 March 2006, Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said U.S. health
agencies are continuing to develop vaccine alternatives that will protect against the evolving avian
influenza virus. [97]
C. 2009 Swine flu outbreak
36. In March and April 2009, an outbreak of a new strain of influenza commonly referred to as
"swine flu" infected many people in Mexico and other parts of the world.
37. The new strain was first diagnosed in two children by the CDC, first on April 14 in San Diego
County, California and a few days later in nearby Imperial County, California. [78] Neither child
had been in contact with pigs.