Monday, August 31, 2009

Good Morning,
As you have likely heard, novel H1N1(A) influenza continues to cause illness across the U.S. and world. CDC is concerned that the new flu virus could result in a particularly severe flu season this year. And, unlike seasonal flu, H1N1 influenza has been seen more in children and healthy young adults. An H1N1 vaccine is currently in production and will likely be ready for the public in mid-October.

What we’re doing

Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) is working closely with the Colorado Department of Health and Environment and local health care providers to ensure the novel H1N1 vaccine is available to residents as soon as it is released. It is likely that the vaccine will be available at doctor’s offices and community clinics. 

At this point, no school-based clinics have been established in Boulder County schools, but BCPH is working closely with Boulder and St. Vrain Valley school districts in case the need for clinics at schools arises. BCPH is also working closely with other community partners, such as CU’s Wardenburg Health Center and hospitals around the county, to ensure that the appropriate people will have access to vaccine. 

CDC does not anticipate a shortage of novel H1N1 vaccine, but if supplies are limited, it is recommended that those people at higher risk of disease or complications, those who are likely to come in contact with novel H1N1, and those who could infect young infants receive the vaccine first. This includes:

• pregnant women
• people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• health care and emergency medical services personnel
• persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age
• people from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems

What you can do

As a community member, we all play a part in reducing the spread of illness throughout Boulder County this fall. You can help by:

• Staying home if you are sick with influenza-like illness
• Practicing good hygiene practices
• Staying informed: sign up at www.BoulderCountyHealth.org to receive regular updates about H1N1.  
• Get your seasonal influenza vaccine
• Get your H1N1 vaccine if you are in one of the target populations

If you are an employer or supervisor, you can prepare for possible outbreaks of novel influenza A (H1N1) by:

• Planning alternate delivery of services
• Planning ways to reduce exposure of non-ill staff to ill staff
• Implementing policies that ensure employees stay home when they’re sick
• Encouraging infection control practices in the workplace
• Displaying educational posters
• Providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer and sufficient facilities for hand washing
• Providing disinfectant and disposable towels for employees to clean their work surfaces
• Sharing flu-related policies and plans with employees and clearly communicate expectations  

Staying informed: sign up at www.BoulderCountyHealth.org to receive regular updates about H1N1  

Thank you for your efforts to help keep our community healthy.