Fight Against The Pandemic

According to The Navhind Times dated 8th May 2006, USA is unprepared for the Bird Flu pandemic. A fact that the United States Health and Human Services Secretary, Mr. Michael Leavitt admitted.

Avian Influenza or the H5N1 Bird Flu virus has not yet been found in North America but experts feel that it is only a matter of time before it crosses over from Asia to Europe and Africa. It may only be a matter of the next few months!
The US has already awarded $ 1 billion worth of contracts to five drug companies to develop a vaccine. The White House has an action plan ready to counter the pandemic in the midst of fears that a pandemic may kill up to two million Americans causing economic havoc.

The US and the European Union will host talks in Vienna on June 6-7 to evaluate the action plans to fight the Bird Flu crisis and this will include the vaccine development progress.

Vaccine development and manufacture was a top priority laid out by President George Bush