An new advisory committee on public health preparedness, charged with the "potentially overwhelming challenge" of helping prepare the country for a bioterrorist attack, concludes its first meeting on Aug. 27, the Los Angeles Times reports. The committee, which reports to HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, consists of 21 epidemiologists, health school deans and other public health experts and represents the Bush administration's "latest affirmation" of the important role the public health system plays in preventing potential bioterrorist attacks. In addition to helping with bioterrorism preparedness, the committee is using its "new status" to address some "traditional concerns," including controlling infectious diseases, vaccinating children and upgrading facilities, the Times reports. CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said that although bioterrorism "creates enormous challenges and risks to the system," people "need to realize" that the system "provid[es] care all the time." For example, state and local health departments are responsible for the "first and most critical response" to bioterrorism, but they also must handle "mundane" issues such as who should receive flu shots. The federal government has appropriated $3 billion to improve the system. To date, $1.1 billion of that amount has been awarded to states and large cities to renovate laboratories, train health care workers and improve bioterrorism detection. The funds also have helped hospitals increase their surge capacity, ensuring the facilities can treat "a sudden influx of bioterrorism victims," the Times reports. "All terrorism is local," Jerome Hauer, director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness, said. "We can rebuild the public health infrastructure to be prepared for other crises, too," he added. However, several committee members noted that additional money cannot address all the problems facing the public health system, including the "severe shortage" of public health nurses, microbiologists and epidemiologists (Kemper, Los Angeles Times, 8/27).