NJCPHP News PHlash
OCTOBER 3 - 15, 2009
THE NEW JERSEY CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AT UMDNJ- SCHOOL OF
PUBLIC HEALTH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS
[1] Pitt Study: Majority of Americans wouldn't use H1N1 vaccine- The Pitt
News (10/5/09)
[2] US swine flu vaccination gets underway- Reuters (10/5/09)
[3] Lettuce and eggs top risky food list- CNN (10/6/09)
[4] U.S. military is aiding Indonesia quake victims- The Los Angeles Times
(10/7/09)
[5] Where to Get Flu Shot Is Big Worry of Season- The New York Times
(10/11/09)
[6] H1N1 Cases On The Rise Nationwide - Emergency Physicians Advise Public
When To Seek Emergency Care- ACEP Press Release (10/12/09)
[7] Don't Gimme Five!- NPR (10/09)
II. H1N1 INFLUENZA RESOURCES
[1] Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines
[1] Swine influenza A (H1N1) Outbreak in US & Mexico: Potential for a
Pandemic- Supercourse
[2] LA County Department of Public Health YouTube Channel
[3] HHS, Sesame Workshop, and the Ad Council Launch National H1N1 Virus
Campaign
[4] PandemicFlu.gov
III. UPCOMING EVENTS
[1] 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit
IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[1] Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against
Novel H1N1 Influenza A: A Letter Report
[2] Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event:
Workshop Report
[3] Essential Elements of Respiratory Protection
[4] Pandemic Influenza Awareness Program
[5] Radiation Event Medical Management
[6] Lessons Learned From the Field of Emergency Preparedness
I. PREPAREDNESS NEWS
[1] Pitt Study: Majority of Americans wouldn't use H1N1 vaccine- The Pitt
News (10/5/09)
The majority of Americans wouldn¹t use an emergency H1N1 virus vaccine,
according to new research from Pitt and the University of Georgia. Sandra
Quinn, associate dean of student affairs and a professor in the Graduate
School of Public Health, worked with three Pitt research associates and a
University of Georgia professor to survey 1,543 people.The group found that
63 percent of people would not take a ³new, but not yet approved² vaccine
for H1N1. Congress passed an act in 2004, the Project Bioshield Act, that
allows the Food and Drug Administration to distribute medicines that haven¹t
been through the normal testing cycle in emergencies. ³With H1N1, we have
the potential for the first large-scale use of [Emergency Use
Authorizations] with the American public,² Quinn wrote in her study,
published in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice and
Science. She said the H1N1 vaccines, scheduled for distribution later this
fall, won¹t be emergency use vaccines but ones that have undergone more
rigorous testing. Quinn, who studies bioterrorism and risk communication,
said she wasn¹t sure why people wouldn¹t want to take an emergency vaccine.
Forty-six percent of the people the team surveyed said they were concerned
about getting H1N1.
http://www.pittnews.com/node/20255
[2] US swine flu vaccination gets underway- Reuters (10/5/09)
Healthcare workers in Indiana and Tennessee began getting the first U.S.
pandemic H1N1 vaccines as part of what the government hopes will be a mass
immunization effort, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
said. The first H1N1 swine flu vaccines to be administered will be
AstraZeneca (AZN.L) unit MedImmune's nasal spray, which was the first to be
finished, packaged and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The U.S. government has ordered about 250 million doses from five companies.
The CDC says 47 U.S. states have ordered 1.38 million doses of the vaccine
so far, with more orders to come from a total of 90,000 states, counties,
cities and individual buyers such as retailers. Healthcare workers, pregnant
women and people with special health conditions including heart disease and
diabetes are among the 160 million people CDC has said should be the first
in line to get the vaccine.
The vaccines will trickle in at a rate of about 20 million doses a week, and
officials are unsure how many Americans will actually get them. The U.S.
government is providing them for free, but clinics and retailers may charge
to administer them. At least two surveys have suggested that demand may be
somewhat higher for the swine flu vaccine than for the seasonal influenza
vaccine.
http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSN04339927
[3] Lettuce and eggs top risky food list- CNN (10/6/09)
Leafy greens -- including lettuce and spinach -- top the list of the 10
riskiest foods, according to a study from a nutrition advocacy group. The
Center for Science in the Public Interest listed the following foods, in
descending order, as the most risky in terms of outbreaks: leafy greens,
eggs, tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts and
berries. The scientists rated these foods, all of them regulated by the Food
and Drug Administration, by the number of outbreaks associated with them
since 1990, and also provided the number of recorded illnesses.
The severity of the illnesses ranged from minor stomach aches to death, the
center said. With leafy greens such as lettuce, the top cause of illness
were pathogens like E. coli, Norovirus and Salmonella in foods that were not
properly washed. Over the past 20 years, leafy greens caused 363 outbreaks,
resulting in 13,568 reported illnesses, the center said. That's compared to
berries, No. 10 on the list, which were associated with 25 outbreaks
totaling 3,397 reported illnesses.
"Leafy greens are a healthy home run, but unfortunately they're associated
with food-borne illness," said Sarah Klein, a staff lawyer with the center
who helped prepared the study. In all, the Top 10 resulted in more than
1,500 outbreaks, totaling nearly 50,000 reported illnesses, according to the
center, which added that most food-related illnesses don't get treated or
reported, so the real total is likely much larger.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/06/news/companies/riskiest_foods/index.htm
[4] U.S. military is aiding Indonesia quake victims- The Los Angeles Times
(10/7/09)
U.S. troops set up a field hospital and rerouted ships to aid victims of a
powerful earthquake that left hundreds of thousands homeless, in their
largest relief operation in Muslim-majority Indonesia since the 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami. The expansion of the U.S. mission comes as efforts shifted
from searching for survivors amid the rubble to providing relief to villages
that have been cut off by massive landslides generated by last week's
magnitude 7.6 quake. Lt. Col. Dan Olson, the chief doctor at the hospital,
said the main concern is to keep infectious diseases from spreading, while
also giving more space to local doctors now operating out of hospitals that
have been severely damaged by the quake. "Usually, if there has been a big
disaster the infrastructure has been destroyed and infectious diseases like
diarrhea and cholera can be a very, very big problem," he said. "We haven't
had any reports of that yet, so it remains to be seen whether it will become
a risk."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-indonesia-quake7-200...
07,0,73802.story
[5] Where to Get Flu Shot Is Big Worry of Season- The New York Times
(10/11/09)
In Alabama, Minnesota and Ohio, health care and emergency medical service
workers have been given priority for swine flu immunization. In Illinois,
and in parts of California and Indiana, young children and their families
are first in line. And across the country, state and local health hot lines
are jammed and message boards are lighting up with one question: When can I
get my vaccination? As a small fraction some 2.4 million doses of the
nasal spray version of the new swine flu vaccine began arriving last week at
local health departments, plans for limited distribution were being
formulated on the fly or dusted off from earlier in the decade, when fears
of an avian flu pandemic sparked a rush of emergency preparedness. ³We are
getting our fair share, but I think everybody feels they¹re not getting it
fast enough,² Lynn Corliss, a public health nurse in Siskiyou County,
Calif., said of the vaccine. In Monroe County, Ind., health officials said
their biggest problem was not having enough staff to administer the vaccine.
At schools, they are sending notices home with children to ask for parent
volunteers. In large part, chaos seems to have been averted, at least
initially. Many people seem to be more eager to receive the injectable form
of the vaccine, which is not yet available. And the nasal spray, called
FluMist, has some limits on who may use it. It is not recommended for
infants, the elderly or pregnant women. Still, health officials were
struggling to communicate that information to the public and make the
general population aware that the first doses were not being widely
distributed. So for most people, there was nothing to do but wait.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/health/policy/12states.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
[6] H1N1 Cases On The Rise Nationwide - Emergency Physicians Advise Public
When To Seek Emergency Care- ACEP Press Release (10/12/09)
As the nation begins what could become a widespread H1N1 flu outbreak, a new
poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians finds nearly 90 percent
of more than 1,000 emergency physicians responding to a poll expressed
concerns about their emergency department¹s ability to care for additional
patients. ³Emergency physicians will do everything they can to guide and
help people through this flu pandemic,² said Dr. Angela Gardner, president
of the American College of Emergency Physicians. ³But a national surge
capacity plan must be developed, and resources must be provided to help our
nation¹s hospital emergency departments be ready to respond to public health
crises, such as this pandemic or a terrorist attack or other catastrophes.²
ACEP conducted the poll from September 15 to September 23, 2009. E-mails
were sent to 20,464 emergency physicians across the United States, and 1,043
responded. Only a tiny fraction (4 percent of 3.38 billion) of federal
funding for emergency preparedness was spent on medical preparedness,
according to the Institute of Medicine (2006). Only 16 percent of emergency
physicians who responded to the poll believe the federal government is doing
everything it can provide them the resources needed to effectively respond
to a severe flu outbreak.
http://www.acep.org/pressroom.aspx?id=46838
[7] Don't Gimme Five!- NPR (10/09)
Two NPR correspondents demonstrate some options on how to remain social and
keep the recommended 3 to 6 foot distance to limit flu spread.
http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/may/gimmefive/
II. H1N1 INFLUENZA RESOURCES
[1] Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines
Trust for America's Health, the Center for Biosecurity, and the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation has issued a new analysis report, Pandemic Flu: Lessons
From the Frontlines. The report found that the initial response to the H1N1
outbreak showed strong coordination and communication and an ability to
adapt to changing circumstances from U.S. officials, but it also showed how
quickly the nation's core public health capacity would be overwhelmed if an
outbreak were more severe or widespread. The full analysis and report is
available on TFAH's Web site at www.healthyamericans.org.
[2] Swine influenza A (H1N1) Outbreak in US & Mexico: Potential for a
Pandemic- Supercourse
Swine influenza A (H1N1) Outbreak in US & Mexico: Potential for a Pandemic
is a Supercourse. This on-line presentation is updated daily and provides
current information in a slide format on the swine flu epidemic.
Supercourse is a repository of lectures on global health and prevention
designed to improve the teaching of prevention. Supercourse has a network of
over 64000 scientists in 174 countries who are sharing for free a library of
3623 lectures in 26 languages. The Supercourse has been produced at the WHO
Collaborating Center University of Pittsburgh.
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec34601/index.htm
[3] LA County Department of Public Health YouTube Channel
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has created its own
channel on the website YouTube. There are nineteen videos providing
information on swine flu, proper hand washing, and information about the
current status of the epidemic in the county. Some of the videos are also
available in Spanish.
http://www.youtube.com/lapublichealth
[4] HHS, Sesame Workshop, and the Ad Council Launch National H1N1 Virus
Campaign
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is joining the Ad Council and
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame
Street, to launch a national public service advertising campaign designed to
encourage American families and children to take steps to protect themselves
from the 2009 H1N1 flu virus and continue to practice healthy habits. As
part of HHS and the Ad Council¹s campaign, Sesame Workshop produced a
television PSA featuring Sesame Street¹s Elmo and Gordon explaining the
importance of healthy habits such as washing your hands, avoid touching your
eyes, nose and mouth and sneezing into the bend of your arm. To view the
PSA:
http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/topics/health/flu/
[5] PandemicFlu.gov
One-stop access to U.S. Government swine, avian and pandemic flu
information.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
III. UPCOMING EVENTS
[1] 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit
When: February 16-19, 2010
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
The 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit, "Partners in Preparedness:
Engaging a Community for a Successful Public Health Response," will take
place from February 16-19, 2010 in Atlanta, GA. The Summit will strengthen
and enhance the capabilities of public health professionals and other
participants to plan and prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters
and other public health emergencies. For more information, please visit:
http://www.phprep.org/2010
IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[1] Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against
Novel H1N1 Influenza A: A Letter Report
This new report from the Institute of Medicine recommends strategies for
health care organizations and employees to prepare for the H1N1 virus. These
recommendations include wearing fitted N95 respirators to guard against
respiratory infection by the virus, and establishing policies for innovative
triage processes, handwashing, disinfection, and more. The report also calls
for a boost in research to answer questions about how the flu viruses can be
spread, and to design and develop better protective equipment that would
enhance workers' comfort, safety, and ability to do their jobs. It can be
read on-line at:
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12748
[2] Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event:
Workshop Report
The United States has been struggling for some time to address and plan for
the threat of nuclear terrorism and other weapons of mass destruction that
terrorists might obtain and use. The Department of Homeland Security
recently contracted with the Institute of Medicine to hold a workshop,
summarized in this volume, to assess medical preparedness for a nuclear
detonation of up to 10 kilotons. This book provides a candid and sobering
look at our current state of preparedness for an IND, and identifies several
key areas in which we might begin to focus our national efforts in a way
that will improve the overall level of preparedness. It can be read on-line
at:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12578
[3] Essential Elements of Respiratory Protection
Essential Elements of Respiratory Protection, a short guidebook listing 19
essential elements of respiratory protection for workers potentially exposed
to deleterious agents, such as hazardous wastes or agents of mass
destruction is available in print and PDF format. Learning objectives
include: Articulate the essential elements of an effective respiratory
program; identify and comprehend the basic personal respirators functional
categories; apply the essential elements to develop, implement or evaluate a
respiratory protection program; and recognize critical administrative,
medical, environmental, technical and regulatory requirements. The guidebook
presents the information in a graphical format which makes presentation and
absorption of material quicker and easier.
We are pleased to provide a complimentary copy of the booklet
upon request (or use the order form on the website.) An electronic PDF copy
of the booklet be accessed at
http://www.njcphp.org/index.php?q=njcphp_products
Email requests to: mailto:walkerpa@umdnj.edu
[4] Pandemic Influenza Awareness Program
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services have created the
program Pandemic Influenza Awareness Program. The course is available in
print and in multimedia versions. It is divided into six modules, each
addressing a different concern for a flu pandemic. The entire course takes
under two hours to complete and can be stopped and started at any time. The
goals of the course are: understand the impact a flu pandemic may have in a
community and what community leaders may need to do to reduce the impact, be
able to develop a Pandemic Flu Personal Emergency Plan, know how to reduce
your risk of getting the flu and spreading it to others, know how to provide
flu care at home, understand where you can get help for the emotional stress
a flu pandemic may cause, and know how to identify reliable sources of
public health information. The course is available at:
http://www.nj.gov/health/training/panflu/
[5] Radiation Event Medical Management
REMM's most important new feature is a major update of the Dose Estimator
for Exposure. This easy-to-use tool now employs algorithms for ³vomiting²
and ³lymphocyte depletion kinetics² developed by the Armed Forces
Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) in their most current Biodosimetry
Assessment Tool (BAT). For more information:
http://remm.nlm.gov
[6] Lessons Learned From the Field of Emergency Preparedness
In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, health care facilities may
have a sudden surge of patients with diverse medical needs. This influx may
cause them to reach capacity quickly and, in some cases, deplete available
resources. In order to effectively manage mass medical care, communities
must identify additional treatment sites and allocate resources
appropriately. To support community emergency preparedness planning, the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a range of
tools. To help communities use these tools, AHRQ hosted a Webcast entitled,
Lessons from the Field of Emergency Preparedness. This event featured
stories from three communities representing different regions with distinct
populations, geographies, and threats.
http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/fieldemprep/
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