Bush asks Congress for $70m for flu vaccine

US President George Bush today outlined a €5.9bn strategy today to prepare for the danger of a pandemic influenza outbreak, saying he wanted to stockpile enough vaccine to protect 20 million Americans against an illness caused by the current strain of bird flu.

The Bush administration, battered by criticism over its hurricane response, is getting the United States prepared for a possible travel ban and other restrictions in the event of a worldwide flu outbreak.