Flu Preparedness Planning

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Flu Preparedness Planning

• Presentation College
• October 2009

Many slides in this presentation are courtesy of
Office of Minnesota Management and Budget and the
Minnesota Department of Health
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Influenza

• Highly contagious
• Upper respiratory infection
• Caused by an influenza virus
• Many types and subtypes of flu viruses
• Flu viruses quickly change, are unpredictable

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Spread of Influenza-like Illness

• Spreads person-to-person
• Mostly spread by coughing and sneezing
• Sometimes spread by touching contaminated
  surfaces or hands and touching own eyes, nose, or
  mouth

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Influenza-like Illness Symptoms

• A fever (1000F or greater) and a cough or sore
  throat
• Other symptoms runny nose, headache, body aches
• And with novel H1N1
• Sometimes vomiting and diarrhea

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What is seasonal influenza?

• Seasonal influenza
• Is a serious illness occurring annually
• More than 225,000 hospitalizations per year in
  U.S
• 36,000 deaths/year in the US
• Most deaths in persons 65 years old and older
• 6th leading cause of death in adults
• Kills nearly as many or more Americans as
• AIDS (14,000)
• Breast Cancer (40,000)
• Is a big deal

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Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Flu

• There is widespread public confusion about the
  H1N1 virus
• Many people have the impression that the threat
  from H1N1 has passed.
• Many people do not understand the difference
  between seasonal influenza and influenza caused
  by the H1N1 virus.
• Many people do not realize that seasonal
  influenza strains are likely to be circulating in
  the fall along with H1N1.

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Signs and symptoms

• Symptoms of Novel H1N1 flu in people are similar
  to those associated with seasonal flu.
• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Fatigue
• In addition, vomiting (25) and diarrhea (25)
  have been reported. (Higher rate than for
  seasonal flu.)

• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills

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H1N1 Hospitalized Cases and Deaths (As of August
11, 2009)
Given that countries are no longer required to
test and report individual cases, the number of
cases reported actually understates the real
number of cases.
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H1N1 Influenza

• New influenza virus that is
• spreading from person-to
• person.
• Is a combination of several
• different strains of viruses.
• On June 11, 2009 WHO
• signaled a global pandemic.
• Although some may say this is a mild illness, it
  is only mild in some parts of the population.

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What is Pandemic Influenza?

• Novel strain of virus
• Little to no immunity in the general public
• Virus infects all age groups
• The novel virus can spread easily person-person
• Spreads throughout multiple countries and
  continents
• More than one wave of influenza is likely
• Waves typically last 6-8 weeks

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Implications of a Pandemic

• Essential Services could be disrupted
• Health care Facilities overwhelmed
• Banks, stores, restaurants, government, post
  offices, transportation/delivery of food and fuel
• Social distancing implemented
• Schools may be closed
• Large gatherings/meetings/ school events may be
  cancelled

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Impacts on employers

• Absenteeism could impact up to 40 of the
  workforce during the peak of the pandemic
• Sick with flu
• Caring for ill family member
• Children at home if schools/daycares close
• Afraid to come to work
• Increase in demand for certain services
• Essential supply chain disruptions

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How can you create a healthy work environment?

• If you or an employee are ill with Influenza like
  illness (ILI), stay home.
• If you or an employee becomes ill at work with
  ILI symptoms, leave or ask them to leave the
  workplace.
• Encourage everyone to cover their cough and wash
  hands often.
• Take care of your work station and your facility
  by cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

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If there is influenza-like illness

• Current recommendation is for people to remain at
  home until at least 24 hours after they are free
  of fever (100 F), or signs of a fever without
  the use of fever-reducing medications.
• Limit contact with other people as much as
  possible at home and in the community.
• Call your health care provider
• before going to see them.

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What could happen next.

• Influenza is notoriously unpredictable.
• The H1N1 virus could
• Simply fade away over the next few months
• Continue to circulate, with no change in severity
  of the illness it causes
• Take a more dangerous course and transform itself
  into one of the greatest public health threats
  any of us are ever likely to see, similar to the
  pandemic of 1918.

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Seasonal Flu Vaccination

• As the this flu season approaches we are working
  with our state, regional and community partners
  to coordinate a response.
• Focus on seasonal flu vaccinations first
• More time between seasonal and H1N1
  vaccinations will limit confusion
• Seasonal flu vaccine is available earlier
  this year. Recommendations for seasonal flu
  vaccine have not changed
• If given early, the vaccine effectiveness for
  the seasonal flu will not wane, it will be
  effective for the entire flu season
• There may be more demand for the seasonal
  flu vaccine.

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H1N1 Vaccine/vaccination

• The vaccine is a government asset.
• We are not sure how much vaccine or when we will
  receive the vaccine.
• We are not sure how effective the vaccine will be
  testing is being conducted now
• We are not sure what the demand will be and how
  it will be distributed. We are making plans now.

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Groups Recommended to Receive the Novel H1N1
Influenza Vaccine

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children
  younger than 6 months of age
• Health care and emergency medical services
  personnel

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Groups Recommended to Receive the Novel H1N1
Influenza Vaccine (continued)

• All people from 6 months through 18 years of age
• Children from 6 months through 18 years of age
  because we have seen many cases of novel H1N1
  influenza in children and they are in close
  contact with each other in school and day care
  settings, which increases the likelihood of
  disease spread, and
• Young adults 19 through 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health
  conditions associated with higher risk of medical
  complications from influenza.

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As employers.

• Support employee personal actions
• Make the healthy choice.the easy choice
• STAYING HOME WHEN SICK
• Reduce exposure to sick social distancing
• Handwashing
• Stress personal preparedness www.ready.gov

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Effects of Community Mitigation Strategies
1. Delay disease transmission and outbreak
peak 2. Decompress peak burden on health care
infrastructure 3. Diminish overall cases and
health impacts
11
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Implement protective measures into everyday
operations

• Encourage frequent handwashing and make hand
  sanitizing gel available
• Posters onsite for handwashing, cover your cough,
  dont work if you are sick
• Provide current information on vaccination
  clinics (seasonal/H1N1)
• Provide regular updates for current influenza
  information (CDC and MDH websites)
• Plan for absenteeism sick workers, sick family
  members, impact on services or business

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Recognize and prepare for stress

• 24/7 News cycle
• Confusing messages
• Worry about personal health and family health,
  economic health and job
• Sick children
• Change in type of access to health care
• Flu Center

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Your Flu Resource Guide

• www.fairmontmedicalcenter.org
• FMC Flu Shot Hotline
• 507-238-5135