Disaster/Pandemic preparedness - page 29
I was looking the the other Disaster/Pandemic thread that Florida1 started. She mentioned that after the hurricanes, that they had problems getting basic supplies and food stores were often closed... Read More
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Jul 23, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741HHS Guidance on Allocating And Targeting Pandemic Influenza Vaccine
Please understand, once a pandemic is declared, they are saying that it
will take 20 weeks for a vaccine targeted to the specific flu strain occurring to
be ready to roll. That's 5 months to begin vaccinating the available amounts
of vaccine going first to the most at risk population which is prioritized by
factors such as age, occupation, pregnancy, and this is modern medicine
at its finest which is why we should be concerned.
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...ating-and.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
Today we have the long-awaited release of the HHS's (Dept. Health and
Human Services) guidance on pandemic vaccine allocation called
Guidance on Allocating and Targeting Pandemic Influenza Vaccine.
...a targeted pandemic vaccine won't begin rolling off the production lines
for 20 weeks, and then, only in limited quantities.
... the availability of a strain specific vaccine for a pandemic will be extremely
limited during the first six months, and possibly longer, into a pandemic crisis.
Anytime you have to prioritize who will receive a potentially life-saving vaccine
first - and who will have to wait - there will controversy. No plan is likely to
please everyone. -
Aug 6, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Some State Preparedness Messages
Just looking at how some states have tried to prepare their citizens,
it becomes obvious that the next pandemic is not only expected, but that
there is real concern that it will not be mild as in 1957 or 1968. The very
fact that a highly virulent bird flu virus currently is present in birds on three
different continents, and that it has jumped species to infect mammals
including humans increases that risk.
Here is a video from California, a state that is at the forefront of the
preparedness effort. Human to human transmission of H5N1 was unknown
in 2006 hence the remarks that it had not happened yet. That has since
changed, and some suspect more frequently than is publicly acknowledged
as the existence of clusters of cases in places such as Indonesia and Pakistan
might indicate.
Secretary Leavitt of HHS is telling it like it is. Pandemics are part of our
biological history. They have always occurred, and they always will.
Nothing can change this fact, not modern science, not Big Pharma, and not
modern sanitation. Our only defense is to be prepared as best as we can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXtmj...eature=related
Will edgy messages be enough to get the public's attention as in the
PSAs mentioned in the following link?
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...g-for-2x4.html -
Aug 11, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Florida pandemic flu drill dead-on with projections (so to speak)
http://tinyurl.com/5h3cp8
Commentary on a recent pandemic flu exercise in Florida from
Scott MacPherson, CIO of the Florida House of Representatives.
This exercise involved a case fatality ratio of only 2%. If it is
the H5N1 virus that we are hit with, it's current CFR is over 60%.
Something, unpleasant to consider, but should be kept in mind.
Exercises never use this figure...
Quote from tinyurl.com
...the issue of 16,000 new orphans arose during the simulation. How will
Florida cope with 16,000 new orphans? The answer was not forthcoming.
And that is fine for now: As long as the question is asked in a public
setting, the answer can come later. Just get someone thinking about that
and get back to him quickly.
Equally comforting in its bluntness was the estimate of 100,000 Floridians
dead from pandemic influenza. That is in line with HHS projections for a
2% case fatality rate. Eighteen million Floridians, at a 30% attack rate,
with a 2% CFR ..... right on line with the scenario. There was no attempt
to lower the CFR; no attempt at a happy ending.
Many eyes were opened during the exercise. According to the Miami
Herald, Governor Charlie Crist looked up at Fugate and asked, "Could this
really happen?"
Fugate's measured response: ''Unfortunately, that's what science tells us.
Do we want this to happen? Pray it never does. But we have to ask, what
if it did?'' -
Aug 26, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Updates in Pandemic Planning for Japan
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...eks-major.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.comhttp://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...ntilators.html
In another sign that global concerns over a pandemic have not lessened,
Japan's Health Ministry is seeking nearly a 10-fold increase in their
pandemic budget for 2009.
Japan's government has been very proactive in pandemic preparedness,
acquiring antivirals and pre-pandemic vaccines, while the private sector
in Japan has been less inclined to prepare.
Plan To Add 3,600 Ventilators in Japan
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
... at least part of that funding (2 Billion yen) would go towards increasing
the number of ventilators (or `respirators', as this article calls them) in
medical districts around that nation. -
Aug 26, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Uncovering Influenza's Achilles Heel
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...lles-heel.html
Basic research is where it's at. Some day in the not too distant
future, this research will pay off. I hope it is sooner rather than
later. We need to understand how influenza infects cells to
develop effective defense strategies against it.
This is a very important piece of work.
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
The researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of a
site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of the human protein
targets, thereby suppressing a person's natural defenses to the infection
and paving the way for the virus to replicate efficiently. This so-called
NS1 virus protein is shared by all influenza A viruses isolated from
humans, including avian influenza, or bird flu, and the 1918 pandemic
influenza virus.
... the NS1 protein binds a human protein known as CPSF30, which is
important for protecting human cells from flu infection. Once bound to
NS1, the human protein can no longer generate molecules needed to
suppress flu virus replication.
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Sep 6, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Pandemic PPE for the Japanese HCW
First of all, I can not imagine working in this kind of get-up, but I
would wear it if I had it available and I were being exposed. And, second,
who is going to provide this? Not my hospital, since they already think
they've got everything under control for any eventuality. Running out of
O2? Not to worry, we will be resupplied by barges on our island fortress.
But what happens when the suppliers run out? No answer because the
planners have not considered it or maybe there is some other plan that
no one has mentioned...
Anyway, this is what Japan is doing for protective gear, and they are
also talking a lot about plans to inoculate staff with a prepandemic H5N1
vaccine so much so that it would appear that they are really going to do
follow through with these plans. This vaccine is in limited supply and is
based on an older strain of virus. No one knows if it will prevent infection
with the pandemic strain, whatever that may happen to be, but the thinking
is most likely that it will prevent mortality if not infection.
Quite a contrast between what is happening there and what is happening
here. Perhaps, actually knowing that bird flu has invaded in your country
more than once, and will most likely reappear again gives them the
necessary impetus to implement action in advance of a pandemic strain's
appearance. That, and the continued evolution of the H5N1 virus, as well
as the not so far away problem of Indonesia unremittingly hiding cases of
bird flu in humans though the last large outbreak scared even them enough
to call the WHO back in for help.
Sure, it's all based on a possible event, but history is full of these events
and there is no plausible reason to think that Mother Nature will stop
producing pandemic viruses no matter how sophisticated our modern
medical techniques and knowledge. We still can not prevent it from
happening though we are currently using many delaying tactics and
using our weapons effectively such as they are. Culling of sick or
potentially sick poultry, treatment of infected humans and use of the
Tamiflu blanket for those exposed to them or sick poultry, have been
successful thus far. We have had luck on our side when Tamiflu
resistant strains have occurred in that those strains have not been
more easily transmissible to humans yet. But, the very fact that this
resistance has occurred is why we should be thinking like the Japanese.
Human to human cases have occurred, and they will again because they
can. The concern is that some day, H5N1 will get it right, with a drug
resistant, easily transmissible strain,and then we will be dependent on
our mitigation strategies to protect our population with no vaccine, and
not enough of anything from PPE, to Tamiflu, beds, vents, O2, or even
antibiotics to treat the resulting cases of pneumonia. What are we
going to do then that we could have done now?
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...e-wearing.html -
Sep 6, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741The Downfall of Just in Time Delivery
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...-of-fools.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
One of the most effective voices urging that we take strong steps to
address supply chain issues during a pandemic- particularly for our
coal fired power generating facilities -is Dr. Michael Osterholm of CIDRAP.
He makes the case for other industries, including offshore
pharmaceutical manufacturing, PPE's, and other critical supplies as well.
If you have never listened to one of his presentations, I would urge you
to seek one out.
Next week Dr. Osterholm's presentation at the The Pandemic Threat:
Preparing an Organizational Response conference should be available online. -
Sep 23, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...-personal.html
It is actually amazing that the govt is reaching out to give citizens
this information. Too bad they are not making more of an effort
to promote it. Hardly anyone will ever know that they are doing
this. If you really want to reach people, you have to be willing to
go the extra mile, and put the message where they can not help
but see it as in PSA's during prime time, bill boards, magazine ads...
Why not really do the job you say you are trying to do, which is to
educate? It kind of gives a mixed message when compared to what
they did to educate about AIDS or even to try to reduce cigarette
smoking. There is no question that the govt is serious about the
pandemic preparations to the tune of millions of dollars. They do know
that it is inevitable, just not how bad or when it will happen.
Contrasting what is happening here with what the Japanese are doing.
I best understand the difference in response by noting that Japan admits
to H5N1 outbreaks occurring in their country in the last few years. They
probably feel much more threatened because they are so much closer to
the problem. They know it is coming back, and they suspect that it is going
to be a serious problem at some point. The Koreans had a very difficult
time trying to stop it with the last outbreaks, and they are close by.
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
The latest in a series of PlanFirst Webcasts from the HHS is scheduled to
take place later this week, on September 25th, at 2pm EDT.
This month's broadcast will be on individual preparedness for a pandemic.
You may submit your questions via email prior to, and during the broadcast.Last edit by indigo girl on Sep 30, '08 -
Sep 23, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741What Japan Is Doing
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...-releases.html
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...-priority.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
Over the summer 6,000 medical personnel were inoculated in Japan in the
largest test of the vaccine to date to see if unwanted side effects would
show up.
Nothing serious has been reported.
Now Japan is drawing up a list of 10 to 15 million workers who would,
during a pandemic, be at particular risk of contracting the virus and who
are considered essential.
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...or-public.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
A government health panel is recommending the use of masks in the
event a new type of influenza breaks out in Japan, suggesting that
households should store 20 to 25 masks per person.
The recommendations from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry
- special conference, compiled in a report Monday, are due to be
carried on the ministry's Web site in the near future, as the ministry
calls for caution among residents.
Masks are sold in packs at pharmacies and convenience stores. However,
they are not able to completely stop people from breathing in viruses, and
the ministry says it is important for people not to come within two meters
of patients and to take preventive measures such as avoiding crowded places.
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Sep 26, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741And the Answer Is . . . At Least Two Weeks
It is worth noting that, in this Webcast we are hearing probably for the
first time that the Red Cross is inferring that you might actually
need 6 to 12 months of supplies. Now what emergency can you think
of that would really last 6 to 12 months other than a pandemic?
If he is saying at least 2 weeks because that is all they think most people
could afford to do but then says 6 to 12 months would be ideal,
that might give you a clue as to how long the Red Cross thinks the
situation would last.
Is it that difficult to put some canned goods away? I think most of us
could manage to put a month's worth of food by if we did some
budgeting, and put family security ahead of entertainment. But, it is
true, many folks are struggling just to get by in today's economy.
Do your best to have some kind of plan for emergencies.
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/0...two-weeks.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
During yesterday's HHS Webcast on personal preparedness the question was asked:
How long should American households be stocking up for?
The answer given by Dr. Richard Benjamin, Chief Medical Officer, of the American Red Cross was:
"At least two-weeks."
He went on to say, "but if you could do more, that would be a wonderful thing."
He added, "Six to 12 months would be wonderful, but that's probably not
practical for most people."
Last edit by indigo girl on Sep 30, '08 -
Sep 30, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741Three reasons to consider getting the pneumonia vaccine sometime soon:
As we move into flu season in the year 2008. Consider the wisdom of
trying to protect yourself from the secondary infection that caused many
of the deaths in 1918. This vaccine may not keep you from getting
pneumonia, but it might keep you from dying from it.
Sometimes people get the flu even though they are vaccinated.
Doctors will then treat them with Tamiflu, but we now live in a world in
which one of our seasonal influenzas, H1N1 has become increasingly
resistant to Tamiflu, our primary antiviral.
It is a fact that most countries are actively preparing for the next
pandemic. Has the world ever prepared in advance for a pandemic
event before? The spread of the H5N1 virus into Europe, Africa, and
Asia is great cause for concern. Most efforts to eradicate it have
been temporarily successful at best as it almost always reappears later.
It is likely to be an ongoing situation. There is no way to predict if this
will be the pandemic virus but it is true that H5N1 is adapting to mammals,
and that it is a very virulent virus killing most of those it infects.
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...1&postcount=17 -
Oct 4, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741HHS Personal Preparation Webcast Now Archived And Available Online
Personal preparedness for the next pandemic, courtesy of the US govt:
http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2008/1...bcast-now.html
Quote from afludiary.blogspot.com
On September 25th, the HHS held the 6th in their series of online
Webinars designed to spread the word about pandemic preparedness.
The archived video of this 57 minute session is now online, and available
for people to watch. -
Oct 5, '08Occupation: visiting nurse Specialty: Too many to list ; From: US ; Joined: Mar '06; Posts: 5,909; Likes: 1,741CDC takes notice of Akron's flu plan
Organization hopes to use ideas as role model for other communities
to prepare for pandemic
http://www.ohio.com/news/30480434.html
Quote from www.ohio.com(hat tip PFI/pixie)
Usually, communities will talk about preparing for a pandemic by
choosing a gymnasium or civic center that will serve as a make-shift
hospital ward when hospitals fill up, Levy said. But a plan requires much
more than that, including arranging for staffing, providing supplies and
setting ''triggers'' for when the plan should be set in motion.
Among the ideas in the Akron plan are:
* Creating a call-in center, which would allow people to stay home
while getting their flu questions answered.
* Moving non-flu patients, such as those recovering from heart attacks,
surgery or childbirth, to long-term-care facilities, so they're not exposed
to the flu virus.
* Opening a site that could serve as a hospital for severely ill flu patients,
to keep them from spreading the virus to other hospital patients.
* Setting up triage sites away from emergency rooms, to direct patients
toward the proper care.
* Using a mobile facility to treat patients.
* Converting outpatient offices into sites for distributing vaccines and
medications.
