The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is stockpiling antivirals and is allocating them to states based on population. Purchases in FY2006 will bring the nation’s stockpile of antivirals to 20 million courses by the end of this year (a course is the supply needed to treat one person). With anticipated FY2007 funding, HHS plans to order an additional 24 million courses which will likely be delivered in 2008. State allocations from the national stockpile, listed below, are based on population.
An additional 31 million courses (FY2006) are available for state purchase, with HHS providing a 25 percent subsidy. State allocation of this supply is also listed. State governors have been asked to notify HHS of their plans to purchase their allocated antivirals by July 1, 2006.
The HHS Pandemic Plan calls for the department, in concert with the Congress and in collaboration with the states, to ultimately acquire sufficient quantities of antiviral drugs to treat 25 percent of the U.S. population.
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the purchase of additional antiviral drugs that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic. The department has ordered 1.75 million treatment courses of antiviral drug zanamivir (Relenza®) from GlaxoSmithKline and 12.4 million treatment courses of oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu®) from Roche. These drugs will be added to the already purchased 5.5 million treatment courses of antiviral drugs for the Strategic National Stockpile and be provided to the states when an influenza pandemic is deemed to be imminent.
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