Perdue signs flu vaccine bill

ATLANTA - With concerns rising over the outbreak of swine flu, Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed a bill that gives him the power to declare a ``pandemic influenza'' state of emergency.

The governor could make the declaration if the World Health Organization a Phase five Pandemic Alert for the United States or Georgia. Currently, the WHO rating stands at four.

The bill Perdue signed on Tuesday also allows pharmacists and nurses to order and dispense flu vaccines if they've entered into an agreement with a physician. That removes the requirement that each person seeking a flu vaccine from a pharmacist or nurse would need an individual doctor's prescription.