WASHINGTON, Nov 1: President George Bush asked the Congress on Tuesday for $7.1 billion in emergency funding to prepare the United States for a possible pandemic of avian influenza.

The total includes requests of $1.2 billion to make 20 million more doses of the current vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, $2.8 billion to accelerate new flu-vaccine technology and $1 billion to stockpile more antiviral drugs.

“To respond to a pandemic we must have emergency plans in place in all 50 states, in every local community. We must ensure that all levels of government are ready to act to contain an outbreak,” Mr Bush said in a speech at the National Institutes of Health.

Several groups said the requests were nowhere near enough, but praised Mr Bush for making a start.

The H5N1 avian influenza has so far only infected 122 people and killed 62, but it has spread to poultry flocks across many parts of Asia and into Europe.

It is making steady mutations that scientists say could allow it to spread easily from person to person and cause a catastrophic pandemic.

The world’s governments have collectively admitted that, despite years of warnings, they are unprepared for a pandemic that could sicken up to a third of the population within months.

Delegates to an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Brisbane, Australia said on Tuesday they would begin to develop a regional cooperation mechanism, but had no details.

Mr Bush said he had submitted a $7.1 billion request for emergency avian flu funds to the House of Representatives.

He repeated the advice of scientists who have said the most immediate need is for global surveillance to catch outbreaks immediately.

Stockpiles of drugs and lists of emergency responders also figure in the plan, to be spelled out in detail on Wednesday.—Reuters