H1N1 Swine Flu
On Thursday, October 15, 2009, Congresswoman Clarke held a telephone townhall meeting to discuss the steps NY is taking to distribute the vaccine and address some of the concerns of her constituents. As Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology, Congresswoman Clarke has federal jurisdiction over DHS’s role in preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus. Dr. Aletha Maybank, Assistant Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, provided expert advice on how to prevent H1N1 and how to get access to the vaccine.
Congresswoman Clarke and Dr. Maybank encouraged all residents of the 11th Congressional District to take all necessary steps to protect themselves from contracting this virus. This includes ensuring that individuals have access to the H1N1 vaccination and are educated about all recommended sanitary routines such as regularly washing their hands to prevent the spread of the virus, coughing into elbows instead of the hands, and using and disposing of tissues. Children should be discouraged from touching their eyes and nose to prevent the spreading of germs during the flu season. While it is important not to breed a culture of fear surrounding this infection, we must remain vigilant in ensuring we are prepared to handle another outbreak from the H1N1 virus, like the one we saw this spring.
On October 6, 2009 New York City began its H1N1 vaccination program. The city received 68,000 doses in nasal spray form which started reaching health care providers in all five boroughs. People over the age of 50 are not encouraged to take the live vaccine, but to wait for the injection version. Parents of school aged children are encouraged to get their children vaccinated, but New York City is not requiring the vaccine for school age children. New York City expects to receive about 1.2 million doses of nasal spray and injection vaccine by the end of the month, followed by shipments of 2 million doses each month during November, December, and January. Both versions of the vaccine are safe, as thoroughly tested as every other flu vaccine, and only because of the timing of the initial outbreak is the H1N1 virus being dosed separately from regular seasonal flu shots. Had the initial outbreak occurred earlier in the year, the H1N1 vaccine would have been included as a dose in regular seasonal vaccinations.
While vaccine availability may be limited initially, federal officials have assured the City that there will be ample vaccine for all New Yorkers who are recommended to receive it. If an individual was diagnosed and tested positive for H1N1 during the last season, they do not need to receive an injection this season. As more vaccine comes in, people are urged to stay in touch with their primary health care physicians, who can best assess their need to be immunized.
Please visit the NYC Influenza Information website for details regarding who should get immunized and visit the website for the dept of health and mental hygiene for information on how the Health Department and the Department of Education are working with schools, parents, and communities to minimize the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu among children and teachers.
For additional information regarding the townhall, please contact my office on Linden Blvd in Brooklyn or in Washington DC.
Click here to listen to the townhall.
Click here to listen to my second H1N1 townhall
HHS Unveils New Features on Flu.gov
Evaluation Guide, Flu Myths and Facts, Flu Essentials Flyers Among New Resources
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today unveiled several new resources on the federal government’s one-stop resource for flu information -- www.flu.gov. The Web site now features a new H1N1 Flu Self-Evaluation guide for adults 18 and older along with a new Flu Myths and Facts section, which provides the public with the latest and most accurate information about the flu.
