Department+of+Health+and+Human+Services



by Tom Randall


 ===There are now 5 states with cases of the Swine-Flu. These are CA, KS, OH, NY, and TX. New York has the most outbreaks with a number of 4 5. “The U.S. can expect to see hospitalizations and deaths, and businesses and schools should plan for a pandemic,” said Richard Besser, the acting head of the Atlanta-based agency. The transfer of the flu seems to be from human for human, although there is still much information that has yet to be discovered. Officials really can’t know where the flu is going to go or exactly how bad it will get. At this point it seems as though only time will tell, with the number of cases jumping from 40 to 64 within two days. Officials are sure that the cases from New York will spread to states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey and are therefore urging people from these areas to be sure to wash hands as often and keep as germ free as possible. ===

**Article 2: How Fast Could a Swine Flu Vaccine be Produced? By Alice Park**
 

=== Now that there has been one death in the US from the Swine Flu scientists are realizing how necessary a vaccine being produced really is. Both traditional and newer health officials are working together to develop faster methods to developing this vaccine. However, even though officials are confident in achieving the goal of developing this vaccine quickly it will still take 4 to 6 months for it to be available to the public once developed. With the outbreak in 1976 a similar plan was developed, but once the vaccine was made and distributed it caused other immune disorders for the people that received it. However, technology has advanced greatly therefore there is a greater confidence in the vaccine to be prepared for the outbreak this year. ===

===As of April 29, 2009 the number of Swine Flu cases in the US has reached 100, and there has been one death of an infant in Mexico. With these alarming statistics President Obama is considering wider spread school closings if necessary. The World Health Organization said that the outbreak is moving closer to becoming a full-scale pandemic. With this news the US government has taken into considering closing Mexico’s border with the US although nothing has been confirmed yet. Until the President and government make decisions about how to handle the situation families around the US have been advised to keep children home from school if flu symptoms appear and watch closely for the spreading of germs.===

===Budget: The way the Health and Human Services Department spends the money is described within four strategic goals. The first goal, Health Care, includes improvements to the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, drug safety, access to recovery, and healthy life styles; i.e. heart disease, smoking rates, etc. The second goal, Public Health Promotion and Protection, Disease Prevention, and Emergency Preparedness,===  ===includes protection from infectious disease threats (such as the swine flu), improved protection through immunizations and vaccines, and the veteran suicide hotline. The third goal,Human Services, includes welfare reform and long term care. And lastly, the fourth goal,=== 

History:
  ===In 1902 the Marine Hospital Service was changed to the Public Health Service in recognition of its expanding activities in the field of Public Health. This was the only the beginning of how much this department would develop and grow. In 1906 and the Pure Food and Drugs Act was passed by Congress. After this many other acts were passed, some pertaining directly to health while others did not. The Cabinet-level Department of Health, Education and Welfare was created under President Eisenhower, officially coming into existence April 11, 1953. In 1979, the Department of Education Organization Act was signed into law, providing for a separate Department of Education. HEW became the Department of Health and Human Services, officially arriving on May 4, 1980.=== 