A message on the FDA website from Health and Human Service secretary Katheleen Sebelius thanked readers for their patience throughout the lapse in Federal funding. She said, “The uncertainty of the past few weeks has created many difficult situations, and the shutdown has imposed hardships on many employees as well as the public we serve.”

Sebelius said, “For those of you who worked for the duration, were called in for specific tasks or returned earlier to perform activities related to the safety of human life or other activities, your service under extremely difficult circumstances is greatly appreciated.

“Now we need to focus our energy on moving forward and getting our programs back up and running.”