Anticipating the return of the H1N1 flu next fall, U.S. Health and Human Services has announced that $350 million in federal funding is available to states, health agencies and hospitals to prepare for an outbreak.

Efforts also are underway to prepare an H1N1 vaccine, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. But once one is developed, it must undergo clinical testing for safety and effectiveness. Only then can it be used for a public vaccination program that would not require insurance coverage or payment from the public. Mid-October will be earliest the vaccine will be available.

Those were key details that Ms. Sebelius provided during a teleconference this afternoon.

Ms. Sebelius said 33,000 cases of H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, were confirmed in the United States since April, with 3,400 cases requiring hospitalization and 170 deaths. But only a fraction of the total was confirmed by health agencies or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disease modeling indicates that 1 million people in the United States became infected with the H1N1 flu.

Pennsylvania had 1,748 confirmed cases and four deaths.

Of the $350 million in federal funding, $260 million will go to state, regional and local health agencies, while $90 million will be funneled to state and local hospitals. The application deadline for agency and hospital funding is July 24, with HHS prepared to begin distributing funds on July 31.

The money will be used for prevention, testing and treatment. Pennsylvania is scheduled to receive $14,320,340 in total funding, including $10,642,275 for public health emergency response and $3,678,065 in hospital preparedness grants.

HHS also announced a $2,500 prize for the best and most creative public service announcement produced on YouTube as a means to get word out about the flu and prevention. The deadline for the 60-second announcement is Aug. 17.

More H1N1 flu details are available at www.flu.gov.