Pandemic Planning: A Convening of the States

At the direction of President Bush, Secretary Mike Leavitt, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), convened senior state and local officials from across the country to establish an integrated federal-state influenza-pandemic planning process. The White House Homeland Security Council, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture also participated in the meeting.

The Convening of States was held December 5, 2005, in Washington, D.C. Summaries of presentations will be available here following the meeting.

Secretary Leavitt asked participants to begin preparing for a series of in-state pandemic-planning summits to be held in each state over the next several months. The in-state summits will inform and involve public health, emergency response, political, economic and community leadership in the planning process.

HHS issued a State and Local Pandemic Planning Checklist which summarizes key planning activities to be undertaken by state and local public health and emergency planning officials.