Despite Assurances, Senators Question Government's Swine Flu Response

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In an attempt to quell renewed public concern over the H1N1 flu virus, three of President Barack Obama's top Cabinet officials assured members of Congress on Wednesday that the swine flu outbreak in the U.S. is still under control.

"We're addressing this situation aggressively and collectively," said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, who was joined at the Senate homeland security hearing by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Leading the proceedings, Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) cited the shortage of available flu vaccine doses that has many state leaders worried.

"I am concerned as we meet this morning that the flu is spreading so rapidly, and in some cases with such intensity, that it may well be getting ahead of the federal government's ability . . . to prevent and respond to it," Lieberman said, pointing out that current supplies are 25 percent below government projections.

"The production is slower than we would have hoped at this point," Sebelius acknowledged, blaming the shortfall on "glitches" associated with the manufacturing process. However, she stressed that production would soon be "back on track."

"By early November, we are confident that the vaccine will be more widely available," Sebelius said.

Despite her assurances, senators expressed deep concern about the number of Americans lacking access to the vaccine.

The most pointed questions came from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who challenged Sebelius to estimate when states would receive their promised supplies.

"Senator, I have no idea," she conceded.

Referencing a chart produced recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lieberman highlighted the jump in flu-related doctor's visits this fall.

He pointed out that the current level surpasses levels from last winter, the time of year when the flu season typically peaks, and that cases among children are "equal to what we normally see over the course of the entire flu season."

"Surge planning has gone on," Napolitano said, assuring Lieberman that the Obama administration had "assumed a lag time" in the availability of vaccines and had not been caught off guard by recent developments.

Duncan said planning and collaboration among government agencies has been instrumental in reducing school closings this fall.

Last spring's outbreak and subsequent school closures "helped us understand where we could do better," he said, and as a result, "school dismissals are significantly lower."

Duncan urged parents to keep an eye out for consent forms produced by the CDC, which would allow schools to vaccinate students as soon as supplies become available.

All three administration officials stressed the importance of vaccines and attempted to ease fears among some people that the H1N1 shot may not be safe.

"The clinical trials say the vaccine is right on target," Sebelius said, assuring the committee that the H1N1 vaccine was no more dangerous or less effective than a typical flu shot. "We expect the same very positive safety results from this vaccine [compared with other flu vaccines]."

Touching on concerns that the current strain of H1N1 could mutate into a more lethal form of influenza, Lieberman said at one point, "We're facing an enemy whose movement is unpredictable."

Sebelius agreed, stressing the importance of curtailing the spread of the flu.

"Getting people vaccinated is the key," she said.

Tagged: daily guidance, DailyGuidance, h1n1, h1n1 swine flu, H1n1SwineFlu, vaccinations

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