News Releases for November 2005
November 10, 2005
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Hoeven, Dwelle Outline State Pandemic Flu Plan
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven and State Health Officer Terry Dwelle, M.D., at a news conference at the state laboratory complex today outlined the state’s plan for responding to a potential influenza pandemic.
“We’re concerned about pandemic flu, and we’re working to do all we can to be prepared,” Hoeven said. “This includes coordinating with healthcare providers, local public health units and the federal government to monitor for all types of influenza infections, including Avian flu, as well as to devise strategies to respond, prevent and control the spread of the disease.”
An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak that occurs when a new or unusual type of influenza virus surfaces and spreads easily and rapidly from person to person. Although no one can say when a flu pandemic will strike, or if bird flu will be the trigger, most scientists agree that a pandemic is likely at some time in the future. There were three influenza pandemics during the 20th century, most notably the 1918 “Spanish flu,” which killed more than 500,000 people in the United States.
“North Dakota’s public health and medical plan for responding to an influenza pandemic builds on an established system of disease response we use often to deal with disease outbreaks,” Dwelle said. “However, slowing the spread of a possible influenza pandemic and caring for the sick will require enhanced measures and a statewide, coordinated response. That’s why the state’s public health and private medical communities have paid special attention to influenza pandemic preparedness.”
North Dakota’s pandemic influenza plan is one component of a comprehensive all-hazards response plan designed to guide response to any emergency. Key elements of the plan include:
- Disease surveillance, investigation and response to detect and control the spread of disease.
- Laboratory procedures to test and confirm clinical specimens.
- Rapid information exchange among health professionals through a secure, redundant communication system.
- Delivery of timely, accurate and useful information to health-care providers and the public.
- A system to monitor distribution and use of influenza vaccine and other medications.
- A system to monitor and reallocate health-care resources such as beds, respirators and inpatient staff.
- Activation of the Department of Health and state emergency operations centers to manage emergency response.
- Isolation and quarantine.
- Community clinics at which to deliver vaccine and other medications.
- Deployment of stockpiles of vaccine and other medications.
“In a pandemic, the most effective measure for preventing influenza is vaccination, and we need reliable supplies of vaccine manufactured quickly and safely,” Dwelle said. “I am very pleased to see that the federal government has focused efforts on developing new methods of manufacturing influenza vaccine.”
As North Dakota’s plan details, effective planning for and response to an influenza pandemic depends upon strong partnerships with public and private health-care entities, as well as other state agencies and the federal government. The Department of Health is working with several partners, including the North Dakota Division of Emergency Services, local public health units, the North Dakota Healthcare Association, and the North Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association. In addition, the Department of Health is coordinating planning and response efforts with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In the spring of 2005, the North Dakota Department of Health coordinated tabletop exercises to test pandemic influenza response at the local, regional and state levels. Participants included responders from public health, hospitals and emergency medical services.
If an influenza pandemic occurs, every North Dakotan will need to take steps to stay healthy. “Washing your hands frequently, covering your coughs and sneezes, and staying home when you are sick are critical during any flu season,” Dwelle said. “These same measures for staying healthy and preventing the spread of seasonal flu will help reduce the impact of an influenza pandemic.”
A summary of the North Dakota Public Health and Medical Pandemic Influenza Plan is available on the Department of Health Web site at www.ndhealth.gov. For more information, contact Tim Wiedrich, North Dakota Department of Health, at 701.328.2270.
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