H1N1 crept into our lives earlier this year and has overstayed its welcome. The nuisance of this illness has affected us all, whether you’ve experienced the nasty bug first hand or watched your roommate or friend endure the quarantine that H1N1 demands of its victims.

One would think that from the get-go H1N1 was an emergency, but recent reports are saying that Obama is just now addressing it as such.

Obama signed a declaration on Oct. 23 that addressed the issue and commented on it by stating:

“The 2009 H1N1 pandemic continues to evolve. The rates of illness continue to rise rapidly within many communities across the nation, and the potential exists for the pandemic to overburden health care resources in some localities.”

By signing this declaration, Obama is giving the government more power to help states by lifting certain requirements both in treating patients and moving equipment where it is most needed. The specifics of Obama’s action would allow Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to waive and modify requirements that will help health care facilities act on emergency plans that would more effectively heal the pandemic.

I’m glad that the administration has made an assertive decision to combat this nasty virus. The lack of treatment for H1N1 is a crucial issue that cannot go unnoticed. The only problem with this is the inevitability that people will assume that there will be treatment for everyone, and when not all of the cases are treated, those who didn’t receive the treatment will blame the government for not doing enough work.

The point though, is that the government is taking noticing of the issue rather than acting like it’s not affecting everyone and their brother in America. Obama has realized the flaw in the system and won’t let it go unnoticed. It’s a positive move forward on H1N1, but the question still stands: Why isn’t there enough vaccine for all patients? Did they not know that this had the potential to reach people quickly?

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains to CNN that manufacturing delays are a large contribution to less vaccines being available than they had projected.

Frieden goes on to explain that the way in which the vaccine is constructed is not suited for rapid or mass production. The vaccine takes up to six months to produce; it is concocted by growing weakened virus in eggs. Apparently that is a slow and demanding process.

So do we not have enough vaccines because no one can produce it fast enough or is it due elements that lie within the government?

There are still a lot of holes to be filled in on this issue, but I’m glad president Obama is finally addressing it. I realize that our government has no control over the production process of the vaccine and can’t treat every case in America, but they’ve recognized the flaw, admitted to the error and want to move forward.