Just two weeks after the swine flu summit was held here at Arizona State University, the federal government convened a large summit today.

Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary pointed to the urgency at hand, and the need for preparedness:

“We can step back from our planning. What we can’t do is wait until October.”

The summit had been pulled together on the request of president Obama. It’s part of a series of heightened actions to prepare for the fall flu season.

• The department of health is  seeking community participation, offering a $2,500 prize for a winning public service video. Details here.

• The government is injecting $350 million in preparedness grants for fighting the H1N1 virus. Of this $260 million will be allocated to state health departments, while $90 million will be for hospitals.

• In June, Sebelius issued a joint statement with DHS  Janet Napolitano on the need to start preparing now.