Obama Declares H1N1 Emergency

Background: H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu, is a strain of the flu that has hit people around the world hard. It has created a pandemic and has made all people fearful.

Summary: President Obama has declared a national emergency to deal with H1N1. His administration said that it has nothing to do with the current case count or any new development. Instead, it allows the federal government help states deal with the pandemic by lifting bureaucratic requirements. Obama has allowed Health and Human Services to waive some requirements in hope to help health care facilities. Since the beginning of the pandemic in April, more than 20,000 people have been hospitalized and more than 1,000 people have died. Millions and millions of vaccines have been sent out across the country, but they are being given faster than they can be distributed.

Analysis: Obama's declaration of a national emergency a very appropriate and necessary step. The federal government needed to do something to help states deal with the effects of the pandemic. The lifting of bureaucratic requirements makes it so the states can worry more about what they need to do to keep their people healthy rather than worrying about the process they need to go through and the requirements they have to meet to solve their problems.

Editorial: Although I think that the steps Obama has taken in dealing with the H1N1 pandemic have been good, I think more needs to be done before the pandemic reaches even worse levels. The idea of getting a flu that is potentially life threatening is very freighting. I am trying to do all I can to make sure I avoid getting swine flu, but there are some situations I can't avoid. Most kids get swine flu from there friends at school. I think schools need to come up with a way to prevent the spread of H1N1 in school, like a closing. That way, everyone can rest and get better, while not missing any work.