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President Obama urges Americans to take precautions against influenza A (H1N1)
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President Barack Obama advised Americans to take a “common sense” approach to battling the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic. The president spoke at length about the threat of influenza A (H1N1) and the government’s efforts to combat the disease during a press conference in the Rose Garden recently.
He said American citizens can take proactive efforts to reduce their risk of contracting and spreading influenza A (H1N1). “Most importantly, we need everyone to get informed about individual risk factors and we need everyone to take the common-sense steps that we know can make a difference,” Obama said. “Stay home if you’re sick. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve, not your hands. And take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy.”
Obama also stressed that the federal government will be stepping up the influenza A (H1N1) national preparedness and response strategy as autumn nears, and influenza cases are expected to increase. According to information released from the president’s office, this strategy includes four pillars of public health: surveillance, mitigation, vaccination and communications.
Obama discussed the ongoing efforts to develop a vaccine for influenza A (H1N1). “[We are] making steady progress on developing a safe and effective H1N1 flu vaccine and we expect a flu shot program will begin soon,” he said. “This program will be completely voluntary, but it will be strongly recommended.”
According to the latest data from the CDC, 8,843 Americans have been hospitalized due to influenza A (H1N1) since the outbreak began; 556 Americans have died from the disease. – by Jay Lewis