As the United States reels from reportedly millions of Swine Flu cases, and more than 1000 deaths, U.S. President – Barack Obama – has declared swine flu a national emergency. This emergency declaration allows medical officials to temporarily bypass certain federal requirements in order to prevent the country’s health-care resources from being overburdened. It also gives the United States’ health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms off site in order to speed up treatment and protect non-infected patients.

The declaration of this national swine flu emergency, was done on Friday night (October 23), and comes just days after U.S. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius warned that swine flu vaccine demand was outstripping supply. As Americans wait for more vaccine doses, 46 of the 50 U.S. states have reported an early flu upsurge. The flu season typically peaks in January or February.

Swine flu is now more prevalent than ever before in the U.S., and production delays have undercut the Government’s initial somewhat optimistic estimates that as many as 120,000,000 swine flu vaccine doses would be available by the middle of this month.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, so far, only 11,000,000 swine flu vaccine doses have gone out to doctors’ offices, health departments and health care providers across the U.S.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared a swine flu pandemic. WHO chief Dr Margaret Chan made the announcement after the UN agency held an emergency meeting with flu experts. It’s the first global flu epidemic in 41 years, as infections in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere have climbed to nearly 30,000 cases at this time.

The long-expected pandemic announcement is simply scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly covering the globe. WHO will now ask drug-makers to speed up production of a swine flu vaccine, which it hopes will be available after September. The pandemic declaration will also prompt governments worldwide to devote more money toward efforts to contain the Swine Flu virus.

“The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” said Chan to reporters. “The virus is now unstoppable. However, we do not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe and fatal infections.” she added.

President Barack Obama said today that the growing number of cases of swine flu in the United States and abroad was “not a cause for alarm,” but he also sought to assure Americans that the U.S. Government was taking precautions to prepare for the prospect of a global swine flu pandemic.

At a previously-scheduled speech that he delivered to scientists in Washington earlier today, the President personally addressed the swine flu issue for the first time, saying “We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States. This is obviously the cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert, but it’s not a cause for alarm. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment and our quality of life than it has ever been before. If there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it is today.”