I think there was always rather intense interest at the level of the [HHS] department. Influenza has always been at the very top of my short list of things to be concerned about.

You have to prepare for the worst, but it's entirely conceivable that we could have a moderate one. You have to prepare for a horrendous problem, but the general public shouldn't assume that we're going to see the worst case.

The good news is that we have a vaccine that can induce an immune response. But the sobering news is . . . we have a long way to go.

Simply put, to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States, we need to mobilize efforts in all our communities to combat HIV/AIDS and to coordinate these initiatives with research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, national organizations and local community and church groups.

The AIDS epidemic is one of the greatest challenges to our society today. It is a fight that we cannot afford to lose.

The findings may point the way to new medical interventions, such as drugs or vaccines, for infections caused by enveloped RNA viruses.