State to get $8.8 million in pandemic flu funding

By: Tammie Smith | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: July 11, 2009

U.S. flu map | SPECIAL REPORT: Swine Flu

Virginia will get $8.8 million in federal money to ramp up the public health and hospital systems to respond to pandemic flu.

The dollars include $6.5 million for public-health preparedness and $2.26 million for hospital preparedness.

The money is part of $350 million the U.S. Office of Health and Human Services is making available to states to deal with the H1N1 swine-flu virus that is causing a flu outbreak.

The World Health Organization on June 11 declared a flu pandemic, noting that the new, easily spread virus -- for which there was little existing immunity -- was circulating worldwide.

"We are very assertively working . . . to be as efficient as we can in planning how we will use that money and making sure that we can use it in a prudent way but also in a rapid way," said Dr. Karen Remley, Virginia health commissioner.

"We have a two-week turn-around cycle to be able to provide information about how we will use it. They hope to have that money out to us by August 1," Remley said.

The health department has set up a temporary office of H1N1 response and has brought together a panel of eight infectious-disease experts from across the state to consult with, Remley said.

The H1N1 outbreak in the United States is causing mild illness for the most part. There have been 211 deaths among more than 37,000 confirmed and suspected cases in the U.S. In Virginia, there have been about 300 laboratory-confirmed cases and two deaths. Seasonal flu is associated with an estimated 36,000 deaths every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the true number sickened by H1N1 may be close to 1 million people. Officials fear the flu could mutate and cause more serious illness this fall. It's also atypical in that it is causing more illness in young people, whereas seasonal flu usually sickens older people.

States started preparing for a pandemic flu several years ago, and over time federal planning grants have fluctuated.

Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com.