Obama: Swine Flu A National Emergency
By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 24, 2009 10:00PM
As the death toll from the H1N1 flu virus (aka swine flu) has crossed 1,000 in the United States, President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency which, according to CBS 2, "empowered his health secretary to suspend federal requirements and speed treatment for thousands of infected people." Obama signed the declaration late yesterday, saying in a statement, "As a nation, we have prepared at all levels of government, and as individuals and communities, taking unprecedented steps to counter the emerging pandemic." Originally planning to have 120 million doses shipped to health centers around the nation, only 11 million have been shipped; the government hopes to have 50 million shipped by mid-November and 150 million shipped by mid-December. Locally, long lines were forming around at different locations for a limited number of doses, all but ensuring many would be turned away without receiving the vaccination. Several area schools have also been completely shut down by widespread illness amongst students.