State Health Officials Look To Buy Flu Medication

Friday, May 19th 2006, 5:51 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State health officials say they will ask the Legislature for about $700,000 to purchase more than 41,000 courses of antiviral medication to treat Oklahomans in case of an influenza pandemic.

Deputy state epidemiologist Kristy Bradley says the state Department of Health wants to buy almost 37,000 courses that it could use only following a declaration by the president and another 4,600 that it could use whenever authorized by the state health commissioner.

Her comments came during a summit Thursday with state and federal health officials that included US Deputy Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu.

About 400 people representing the health-care industry, schools, American Indian tribes, governments and businesses were told to prepare contingency plans for a pandemic of any sort.

The summit took place the same day the Homeland Security Department's top doctor, Jeffrey Runge, said many US states aren't prepared for bird flu.