One Year Later: How the H1N1 Pandemic Has Strengthened America’s Preparedness

April 20, 2010

By Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H., Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, HHS

On the first anniversary of the discovery of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, it’s important to look at the future of pandemic planning and how we can improve the way we plan and respond. We’ve learned from this experience about protecting the American people   from threats – man-made or made by Mother Nature.

This pandemic has proven that the vaccine technology we depend on – tried and true over the past 50 years – needs to be supplemented with new, faster, more flexible manufacturing methods. We are supporting the development of those methods, including recombinant and other next-generation technologies.

Secretary Sebelius asked my office to conduct a review that will help improve the nation’s approach to medical countermeasures – the vaccines and treatments needed to respond to the known and unknown pathogens we could face in the future – from identifying which countermeasures are needed to initial research and development to advanced R&D to production to stockpiling and, finally, to distribution.

The countermeasure review will be complete in late spring. What we see already is that across the federal government we must be more strategically aligned in pursuing medical countermeasures and more integrated in working toward a common goal to meet both current and future needs.

We are also improving pandemic and all-hazards planning to help communities become more resilient in the face of health emergencies. During the H1N1 pandemic we developed outstanding partnerships with an array of stakeholders. Everywhere, people rolled up their sleeves and worked together in some incredibly innovative ways. We want to build on those partnerships and use that energy and creativity to accomplish our common mission so our nation and its people are prepared for, protected from, and resilient in the face of health threats or incidents with potentially negative health consequences.