HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the availability of $350 million in grants to help states and territories prepare for the 2009 novel H1N1 flu virus and the fall flu season. The grants were funded by the recent supplemental appropriations bill that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on June 24, 2009. Secretary Sebelius said, “With flu season around the corner, we must remain vigilant and do all we can to prepare our nation and protect public health. These grants will give states valuable resources to step up their flu preparedness efforts.” A total of US$260 million in Public Health Emergency Response Grants will “help state public health departments perform a variety of functions, including preparing for potential vaccination campaigns, implementing strategies to reduce people’s exposure to the 2009 novel H1N1 flu and improving influenza surveillance and investigations.” Some US$90 million in Hospital Preparedness grants will be distributed to “enhance the ability of hospitals and health care systems to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. Local outbreaks of the novel H1N1 virus have produced a surge of patients at hospitals, and these grants will help ensure hospitals are ready for future outbreaks that may impact their community.”

http://www.flu.gov/whereyoulive/flugrants_20090710.html

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