Funding is part of the U.S. pandemic response and will provide a steady stream of money rather than the cycle of ‘boom and bust’<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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THURSDAY, May 13, 2021 (HealthDay News) — The federal government is providing $7.4 billion to hire more school nurses to vaccinate children, to create a service corps for health care, and to boost disease detection efforts, the Associated Press<\/em> reported Thursday.<\/p>\n Carole Johnson, the Biden administration coronavirus testing coordinator, told the AP<\/em> that the funding is part of the U.S. pandemic response and will provide a steady stream of money rather than the cycle of “boom and bust'” that has been the usual response to health emergencies.<\/p>\n “We really see this as funding that can help end the pandemic and help us prevent the next one,” Johnson said. About $4.4 billion will go to current priorities in fighting the pandemic, she added, including $3.4 billion for states and local health departments to increase hiring vaccinators, contact tracers, virus testers, and epidemiologists. In addition, $500 million will go to hiring school nurses, who could vaccinate children now that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for teens.<\/p>\n Another $400 million will help set up the Public Health AmeriCorps, a service program to enlist young people early in their careers in public service work. The idea is to train and encourage young professionals interested in public health.<\/p>\n The money will create tens of thousands of new jobs over five years, Johnson said. Some of the money is for long-term investments. About $3 billion will go to a grant program to help states and local communities maintain public health efforts after the pandemic ends, the AP<\/em> said.<\/p>\n