By Crystal Swann
July 13, 2009

The Obama administration convened state, local, and territorial representatives on July 9 for the H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit held at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda (MD) to begin the government’s nation wide fall flu preparedness efforts. The meeting, co-convened by Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano, Health and Human Service (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, focused on the administration’s commitment of resources, training, and new tools to help state and local governments prepare for the upcoming flu season.

Speaking to a crowd of over 500 participants, President Obama via telephone from Italy, told the crowd that his Administration is committed to doing all it can to mitigate the effects of the H1N1 flu virus and develop a national response framework. He expressed concern about the fall season and urged state and local governments to develop public communication’s campaigns and encourage people to get vaccinated.

“The federal government is working together with its federal, state, local, and tribal partners to develop a nation-wide plan to combat the H1N1 flu that incorporates the lessons learned this spring,” Napolitano stated. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Mayor of Baltimore, echoed Napolitano’s statement. “The experience in the spring taught us that while earlier pandemic flu planning efforts were effective, there are also areas for improvement. Effective responses require accurate and timely information that is as close to real time as possible,” stated O’Malley.

HHS will make available preparedness grants worth a total of $350 million. These grants were funded in the latest supplemental appropriations bill to pass Congress and will give state and local public health offices and health care systems valuable resources to enhance their preparedness efforts. Additionally, HHS is launching a new PSA campaign contest to encourage more.

Americans can get involved in the nation’s flu preparedness efforts by making a 15'second or 30'second PSA. Officials at the summit stressed the idea of “shared responsibility” when it comes to combating the flu. The goal of the new HHS PSA campaign contest is to tap into the nation’s creativity to help educate Americans about how to plan for and prevent the spread of H1N1 influenza. HHS will evaluate submissions and will present the best PSAs back to the public so everyone can vote on their favorite submission. The winning PSA will receive $2,500 in cash and will appear on national television. Contest details as well as information about the larger effort to plan and prepare for the flu season are available at www.flu.gov.