White House plans swine flu summit next week

[Guest guest]

White House plans flu summit next week

July 1, 2009 Posted: 07:25 PM ET

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

WASHINGTON (CNN) – CNN has learned that the Obama administration is planning to

convene a " flu summit " next week to make preparations for the fall, as officials

in Argentina declare a health emergency because 35 people have died in the Latin

American nation from swine flu.

Senior Obama administration officials stressed the summit, which will be

convened July 9 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, land, is

being held strictly as a precautionary measure to make sure the U.S. is prepared

for any potential swine flu outbreak, and not because of any specific fear of a

crisis.

President Obama will be traveling next week to Russia, Italy and Ghana on a

foreign trip, so the summit will be chaired by Homeland Security Secretary Janet

Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, according

to the officials.

The summit follows Obama's meeting this past Tuesday with several former federal

officials who dealt with America's 1976 H1N1 flu outbreak and offered

perspective from that crisis for current administration officials. Sebelius and

White House Homeland Security Advisor Brennan joined Obama at that

meeting...

Among the people who attended were...Dr. Harvey Fineberg, co-author of " The

Swine Flu Affair: Decision-Making on a Slippery Disease. "

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/01/white-house-plans-flu-summit-nex\

t-week/