Pandemic plan wins funding in House

In a separate vote, Congress approved $3.78 billion in funding to prepare for possible avian flu pandemic, about half of what the Bush administration had requested. The money is scheduled for new vaccines, antiviral drugs, training for healthcare workers and surveillance programs intended to stop a possible outbreak of the disease.

Controversial language in the appropriations bill grants pharma, biotech and medical device companies full immunity from lawsuits in the event of a pandemic or a biological attack. Some critics say the bill's broad language gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the right to declare almost any health emergency--from diabetes to obesity--an epidemic, effectively granting companies immunity from lawsuits. The provision in the bill is seen as a major victory for vaccine companies and companies in the med tech sector.

- see this article from Federal Computer Week
- read this article from The New York Times

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