White House to Hold H1N1 Flu Summit

5007628Members of President Obama's cabinet will hold a H1N1 Flu Preparedness Summit next week to prepare for the possibility of a more severe outbreak of H1N1 flu.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan will host the all-day event on Thursday at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

The H1N1 flu virus is still circulating in the U.S. and at least 100 other countries -- especially in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season is underway. Scientists and public health experts forecast that the impact of H1N1 could worsen once school resumes, or in the fall when the regular flu season hits.

The goal of the summit is to launch a national influenza campaign, to tailor states' existing pandemic plans, share lessons learned from previous H1N1 waves and discuss preparedness priorities.

"Prevention is everyone's business," Duncan said. "Parents, children, teachers, school leaders, communities, government and businesses, we need do our part individually and collectively prevent the spread of the flu virus."