Rendell Administration Officials To Participate In National Flu Summit

Main Category: Swine Flu
Article Date: 09 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that representatives of his office, the departments of Health and Education, and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency will participate in a federally sponsored H1N1 Influenza Preparedness Summit in Maryland on July 9.

The Governor said the summit will provide vital information that will be used in Pennsylvania's ongoing efforts to respond to the current global pandemic and prepare for a possible resurgence of the 2009 Novel Influenza A/H1N1 virus this autumn.

"Although Pennsylvania was well prepared to respond to April's H1N1 outbreak, we must continue to be vigilant. This summit will help us strengthen our plans in various areas of preparedness, including disease control, vaccination and antiviral distribution and school closures," said Governor Rendell. "It's also important for us to hear updates on the activities and priorities of our federal partners, as well as lessons learned by other states in relation to H1N1 response and preparedness."

Pennsylvania continues to see new cases of the Novel A/H1N1 virus. The state's sixth death from complications of this flu strain was reported today.

Pennsylvania's participation in the federal summit was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The summit is hosted by U.S. Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Education.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.

Source: Pennsylvania Office of the Governor