WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today issued the following statement regarding the President’s Implementation Plan for The National Strategy For Pandemic Influenza:

“I look forward to reading through the implementation plan for pandemic preparedness released by the White House today. However, I have long been outspoken on the need to prepare for a potential pandemic. Last October, Senator Clinton and I introduced legislation to strengthen our nation’s flu vaccine system. Our legislation takes a comprehensive approach to improve our vaccine market and delivery system for the seasonal flu, but also to provide the framework that is absolutely critical during a pandemic flu.

“Our bill, the Influenza Vaccine Security Act, provides a framework through which our public health officials can track vaccines to ensure we have an adequate supply and to make sure high priority populations are vaccinated. It provides additional funding for the National Institutes of Health research into alternative methods of vaccine development, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a medical personnel registry so we can identify personnel quickly in the event of an emergency, and increases education about the importance of obtaining seasonal flu vaccines.

“Finally, our bill encourages more companies to enter the U.S. market with domestic-based production facilities and to improve the ability of the current manufacturers to remain in the market by providing grants for technical assistance from the Food and Drug Administration and grants for capital improvements in technology or production capacity. It is critical that we have companies and facilities here in the U.S. that are able to produce vaccines or other countermeasures as quickly and efficiently as possible, especially in an emergency situation.

“I understand there may be concerns regarding ‘unfunded mandates’ on states in the administration’s proposal. States and local communities will be absolutely critical in responding to a pandemic and must be partners with the federal government in these efforts. However, I am sensitive to the concerns that states have many other demands to meet in regards to providing other daily health services and may become overwhelmed financially with pandemic planning. I look forward to reading through the implementation plan and then working with my colleagues and folks on the ground at the state and local levels to see that we have a workable plan to protect the public health in an emergency.”

In October of 2005, the Senate Health, Education, Labor Pensions (HELP) Committee, of which Roberts is a member, passed the Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2005 (Bioshield II). Included in Bioshield II are provisions similar to the Clinton/Roberts Influenza Vaccine Security Act. In addition, the committee is considering legislation to reauthorize the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, where several of the Clinton/Roberts provisions will be addressed. The full Senate is set to debate and vote on these pieces of legislation in the coming months.

Senator Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and an outspoken leader on the need to address a possible pandemic vaccine situation. In 2002, he led efforts to ensure provisions protecting agriculture from an agroterrorism attack were included in the bioterrorism legislation.