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August 5, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Ark. Revises Plan for Bioterror, Asks Additional Funds"
Memphis Commercial Appeal (TN) ( www.gomemphis.com ) (08/02/02) P.
B2; Wiese, Kelly
Arkansas state health officials, slated to receive $12.2 million
from the federal $1.1 billion tagged for state use in preparation
against bioterrorism, have recently submitted a revised plan to
seek $777, 990 initially withheld from the funding. The federal
Department of Health and Human Services declined to release that
final amount of funding until the state presented a more solid
plan that responded to questions of preparedness, specifically
regarding the stockpiling of vaccines and drugs. Arkansas's
state Health Department bioterrorism leader, Donnie Smith, issued
the revision as requested, outlining a plan using $665,475 for
stockpiling drugs, and the remainder for general preparedness
initiatives. Smith said that $100,000 would be needed to
transport the drugs for statewide distribution and another
$114,750 was intended to employ 30 workers to repackage and
distribute the drugs and $90,000 was earmarked for mass
inoculation medical readiness kits that would include
identification badges for volunteers, flashlights, and two-way
radios.
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