# 2392
While I posted the GAO report on October 1st, we have an article in yesterday's Federal Times on some of the gaps that the GAO (Government Accountability Office) discovered in the HHS's pandemic preparations.
The report - Influenza Pandemic: HHS Needs to Continue Its Actions and Finalize Guidance for Pharmaceutical Interventions (GAO-08-671 PDF File) - is dated September 2008.
This report points out several areas where the HHS has made significant progress towards preparing our nation for a pandemic.
HHS has made substantial progress in its preparedness for pandemic influenza.
For example, since 2000, we had been urging HHS to complete its pandemic plan.5 HHS released the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan in November 2005. (See app. I for summaries of select federal pandemic documents.)
We recently reported that HHS has improved its influenza surveillance and diagnostic testing capabilities.6 Prompted by concerns regarding H5N1, HHS and its international partner organizations have increased efforts to enhance animal and human surveillance systems overseas.
Additionally, in February 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—an agency within HHS—approved a diagnostic test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—another agency within HHS—that recognizes H5 influenza viruses within 4 hours of testing; it previously would have taken 2 to 3 days.
The main recommendation expressed by the GAO in this report was that:
To improve the nation's preparedness for a pandemic, the Secretary of HHS should expeditiously finalize guidance to assist state and local jurisdictions to determine how to effectively use limited supplies of antivirals and pre-pandemic vaccine in a pandemic, including prioritizing target groups for pre-pandemic vaccine.
The key words here are `limited supplies'.
And the American people need to understand that in the early going, the first 6 months or more of a pandemic, the general public will not be receiving a pandemic vaccine.
While I can't count the number of times I've read this admonition in news reports - from just about every newspaper in the land - for most Americans, this warning has yet to register.
Finding new and effective ways to communicate to the public a message that they really, really don't want to hear continues to be a major challenge. `Scare tactics' are frowned upon, and more subtle approaches don't seem to get the message across.
Funding issues continue to hamper the HHS's efforts, as well.
The HHS didn't receive any funding in fiscal year 2008 to stockpile vaccines, nor has it received any in this year's continuing resolution. There are hopes that congress will pass a new budget when congress convenes after the New Year.
This report from the Federal Times.
Funding, transparency issues hobble HHS’ pandemic flu preparations
By REBECCA NEAL
October 14, 2008
If a pandemic flu outbreak occurs, the government plans to deliver vaccines to about 20 million people deemed critical. Those first recipients will include health care workers, law enforcement, key government officials, emergency responders and power-grid electrical workers.
The idea is to keep society running until a more effective vaccine, tailored to the specific pandemic-causing strain, is produced and distributed on a large scale. And that could take 20 to 23 weeks.
But a key glitch in that plan — which would be carried out by the Health and Human Services Department — is that the government has yet to notify the public of exactly who will receive those initial vaccines and medicines when and if that time arrives, experts said.
Marcia Crosse, the Government Accountability Office’s director of health care, said that’s a problem because the public needs to understand well ahead of time how the limited number of initial vaccines will be distributed, and why, in order to prevent chaos.
“The challenges are large in dealing with the state, locals and private sector and are not something they can control, hence preparation is so important,” she said in an interview.
In a report released two weeks ago, GAO called on HHS to finalize and make public lists of those who would be the first to receive medication.
GAO also said the department needs to improve plans for local and state involvement and to speed up developing and stockpiling vaccines and antivirals.
“We need to communicate to the public that the vaccine will not be available for everyone at first and get public input on who [should get it]. That way it’s not chaotic when they hear for the first time, ‘There’s not enough available for me, and I need to stay home and stay well,’” Crosse said.
Rear Adm. Craig Vanderwagen, HHS’ assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said the department recognizes the importance of informing the public, but is still working through details with local responders.
(Continue . ..)
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