Board of Health cites magnitude of Cattaraugus swine flu challenge
ALLEGANY — A discussion about this fall’s planned mass immunization against swine flu, the need for more planning and the capability of health professionals to treat large numbers of people dominated Wednesday’s meeting of the Cattaraugus County Board of Health.
Public Health Director Barb Hastings told board members that a second adult in the county has contracted the H1N1 virus and is recovering after receiving treatment. Investigators have found no infections or flulike symptoms in any of the people who have come into contact with the two people who have contracted the flu, she said, so there is no cause for concern.
“We have been lucky, with only two cases, who are recovering. Erie County had 50 confirmed cases in one week. Maybe it’s because we’re rural and we don’t congregate like they do up there,” said County Emergency Preparedness Director Michael Bechelli.
Hastings said that more public education is needed about the flu but that privacy protections have shielded information about the two Erie County deaths, symptoms and other complications that might help others get aggressive treatment quickly. When board members questioned how the area’s limited resources could handle intensive care and triage for large numbers, Bechelli said some ventilators and other equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile have been installed at Olean General Hospital.
“We are advised to get treatment [for flulike symptoms], but what is going to happen this fall when you can’t get in to see your doctor?” Bechelli said, adding that most flu sufferers don’t run to the emergency room. He recalled his own two-week wait for a doctor’s appointment last fall, two trips to an urgent-care center and two separate prescriptions before his own flu bug was vanquished.
Bechelli said the mass immunization of all county residents will come on the heels of the usual fall flu vaccine clinics. The vaccine is being developed by six manufacturers and clinically tested this summer, to be purchased by the federal government for distribution at an estimated cost of about $15 per dose. It is still unknown who will pay health professionals to administer the vaccines and what form the vaccine will take. One possibility is multiple doses 21 to 28 days apart for those older than 50.
The scope of the planning and effort necessary to complete the mass immunization is apparent in the numbers. According to Bechelli, manufacturers annually produce about 150 million doses of seasonal vaccine, but 600 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be required. Hastings said the board must determine who will have the highest priority to receive the vaccine once weekly shipments begin to arrive in the fall.
Bechelli referred to September as “Do Day” in the intensified efforts to combat the flu.
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Reader comments