H1N1 influenza: Obama declared health emergency in the United States

U.S. President Barack Obama has declared a health emergency in the United States because of the epidemic of H1N1 influenza, after the death of over 1,000 people in the country since the spring, said Saturday the White House.

The emergency declaration, signed late Friday, calls the situation a "national emergency". It strengthens the capacity of health centers to manage the influx of patients with the virus, allowing them to set up emergency operations without complying with certain federal requirements.

"By rapidly identifying the virus, implementing public health measures, providing guidance for health professionals and the general public, and developing an effective vaccine, we have taken proactive steps to reduce the impact of the pandemic and protect the health of our citizens," Barack Obama said.

"Taking into account the continuing progress of the pandemic, and to continue to prepare the country, we are taking additional measures to facilitate our response to the disease," the document adds.

In a note addressed to the Congress, Obama said that the emergency measure was taken "to be ready for the event of a rapid rise in cases in the country that could overwhelm health services".

The pandemic influenza H1N1 has killed more than 1,000 and need at least 20,000 hospitalizations in the United States since its emergence in the spring, said Friday the U.S. federal authorities.

Currently, infection with the H1N1 virus continues to spread: 46 of the 50 states have reported many cases, which are millions across the country and their number continues to increase.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chief Thomas Frieden complained of the slow delivery of vaccines, the only effective weapon to stop the pandemic that affects primarily young adults and children.

"We are now in a period where the availability of vaccines against the H1N1 virus is experiencing a steady increase but much too slow," he said. "This is frustrating for everyone and we hope now to have more vaccine," he added.

On Friday, the CDC counted 16.1 million doses of vaccine ready to be delivered. Last week the CDC announced that the number of vaccine doses available in late October would reach 30 million instead of 40 million originally planned.

Globally, the H1N1 influenza is responsible for at least 5,000 deaths, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO).

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