Reacting in large part to production delays of the influenza A(H1N1) vaccine, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is calling for a review of the federal government's system for handling public health emergencies.

The review will analyze vaccine development, production and distribution policies, and then determine the best plan for disaster preparedness, Sebelius told the AMA's National Congress on Health System Readiness in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 1. The move comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the country's H1N1 epidemic has started to wane.

"The ultimate goal of this review is a modernized countermeasure production process where we have more promising discoveries, more advanced development, more robust manufacturing, better stockpiling and more advanced distribution practices," Sebelius said.

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