Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama declared swine flu a national emergency, the White House announced in a statement yesterday.
The declaration is designed to help U.S. medical treatment facilities deal with a surge in H1N1 influenza patients by waiving government rules on a case-by-case basis, the announcement said. That might make it easier for hospitals to set up separate emergency facilities to deal with an influx of flu patients.
Swine flu is now widespread in 46 states and accounts for 411 confirmed deaths since Aug. 30 and more than 8,200 hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The numbers reflect what would be the peak of a typical flu season, CDC Director Thomas Frieden, said Oct. 23. “Many millions of cases” have occurred in the U.S. since the outbreak began earlier this year, he said.
Senator Mitch McConnell, speaking earlier today on ABC’s “This Week,” said that Congress would “be happy” to provide any additional resources President Obama needs to combat swine flu. The Democratic administration earlier told Congress that it had provided “all the authority and all the money” needed, according to McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who serves as his party’s leader in the Senate.
Swine flu vaccine production is slower than anticipated and drugmakers are unlikely to hit the U.S. government’s targets for delivery, Frieden said.
The amount of vaccine available as of Oct. 21 was 16.1 million doses, with 11.3 million doses shipped to doctors and clinics in local communities, he said during a conference call with reporters.
Some Difficulties
“We’ve had difficulties with the projections we’ve had so far,” Frieden said of vaccine production. “The numbers will continue to increase. We think supply will become much more widespread within the next several weeks.”
The U.S. won’t reach its target of 195 million doses by the end of the year because of productions delays at two drugmakers and GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s failure to gain regulatory approval for its product, said Nicole Lurie, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response.
Frieden declined to name the drugmakers.
“Each different supplier has its own challenges,” he said. “The vaccine technology that we have is antiquated, but tried and true. Ultimately we have confidence there will be enough vaccine available for everyone who wants to be vaccinated.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Andrew Pollack in San Francisco at apollack1@bloomberg.net
To contact the reporter on this story: Kate Andersen Brower in Washington at kandersen7@bloomberg.net
US president Barack Obama declared a swine flu emergency in the country on Saturday, according to a statement released by the White House.

Obama signed a declaration late on Friday, authorising health secretary Kathleen Sebelius to bypass some federal rules, in order to let health officials respond more efficiently to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus. The move is aimed at making it less difficult for people affected by the virus to seek treatment, and allow medical providers to give it immediately, bypassing potential hurdles such as health privacy regulations.

"As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic," the president wrote in the declaration.

Swine flu has now been circulated in 46 of the 50 US states, and has resulted in at least 411 confirmed deaths since the end of August. Production of antiviral vaccines has been slower than initially predicted, and it is likely that the US government's targets for delivery won't be met by drug makers, according to Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.