BOSTON -- It has not yet spread between humans, but concern about the bird flu is growing. President George W. Bush announced Tuesday a massive plan he hopes will protect Americans.

NewsCenter 5's Heather Unruh reported that in a speech at the National Institutes of Health, he asked congress for $7.1 billion to prepare for a pandemic flu outbreak.

That money will be used to stockpile antiviral treatments that can cut down on the severity of the flu, develop new vaccines as new strains emerge and buy enough vaccine against the current strain to immunize 20 million Americans -- those on the front lines like health care workers and the military.

"A vaccine from the current avian flu virus would likely offer some protection against the pandemic flu strain. And possibly save many lives in the first critical months of an outbreak," Bush said.

Bush's proposal also will help fund pandemic planning at the state and local level. But does it go far enough?

Bush requested $538 million to help state and local governments create emergency plans for the bird flu. Newton Wellesley infectious disease Dr. Michael Lew isn't impressed with the amount.

"It doesn't sound like very much divided over 50 states. Right now, the health system is operating at full capacity. What do we do if we suddenly have double the number of patients we usually care for? Where will we put them? How will we care for them? Where will the personnel come from?" Lew said.

Department of Public Health Commissioner Paul Cote said that the commonwealth has been planning for a pandemic for the past decade and is working to address these very issues.

"We're identifying what we would call alternative triage sites regionally across the commonwealth -- how many resources we need to add to them everything from beds to supplies to have them up and ready," Cote said.

They're also creating a database of medical personnel not affiliated with local hospitals who could step in and help out if a pandemic strikes.

Vaccines are at the core of the president's bird flu strategy -- $5 billion to stockpile vaccines and anti-viral medication and develop newer, faster manufacturing of vaccines.

"It's a question of timing. We're way behind in terms of manufacturing," Massachusetts General Hospital's Dr. Michael Callahan said.

"It's a lengthy process, and the reality is that the current vaccine could not be made or scaled up in this country probably for a year or two," Massachusetts General Hospital vaccine expert Dr. Jeffrey Gelfand said.

In the meantime, the state is exploring ways of stockpiling antivirals, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, which do not protect against the bird flu, but can help lessen the symptoms and decrease the number of flu deaths.

"No one should relax on this issue -- certainly not the Department of Public Health or any of the health care systems and we're not," Cote said.

The commissioner stresses that while bird flu is getting a lot of attention, there is no need to panic. The best thing you can do to lessen the spread of any flu is to be diligent about washing your hands and covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough and if you're sick, don't spread it -- stay home.