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Bush to ask for $1.5 billion to fight bio-terrorism

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush will recommend that Congress allocate more than $1.5 billion in new funds to help the Department of Health and Human Services fight bio-terrorism, the department said Sunday.

Combined with Bush's prior request of $345 million, it would make the amount devoted to fighting bio-terrorism more than $1.8 billion next fiscal year.

The requested amount, outlined in a department press release, includes $643 million to expand the country's stockpile of medications.

The money also would be used to provide enough antibiotics to treat 12 million people for 60 days in the event of widespread exposure to anthrax, the department said.

In addition, the package would:

-- Speed and boost production of smallpox vaccine.

-- Strengthen early surveillance programs that coordinate with state and local public health systems.

-- Improve hospital preparedness.

-- Better protect food supplies.

-- Improve state and local preparedness with enhanced training and planning for emergency workers.

-- Improve state and federal laboratories and lab security.

-- Hire more epidemiologists who can detect and treat infectious disease.