Four-Day Pandemic Preparedness Drill Ends
By Kathy Kellogg
Cattaraugus County Health Department officials Friday reported the completion of a four-day pandemic preparedness drill in which free influenza vaccines were distributed at 27 point-of- distribution sites.
The exercise was part of a state Department of Health preparedness plan for mass immunization clinics in the event of a contagious disease outbreak.
The state supplied the flu vaccine, and doses were given to first responders, police and emergency personnel, school and county employees and other high-risk individuals at the clinics.
In addition, the county moved forward with planning a final series of flu vaccine clinics that will target seniors and county employees.
A vaccine for avian flu has yet to be developed.
Officials also noted no new cases were reported in Portville Central School’s pertussis outbreak, which saw 42 cases during October, along with another 25 epidemiologically linked cases in Portville, Olean and Allegany. Pertussis is a highly contagious infection of the respiratory tract, which Health Department officials say causes coughing when the patient is in the contagious stage.
Health Director Barbara J. Hastings told the County Board of Health last week the outbreak is the largest seen in recent years by state health officials.
She connected the decline in the Portville outbreak to a second line of control using interviews, screenings and antibiotic treatment of exposed individuals who were experiencing pertussis symptoms.
In addition, a round of 168 pertussis boosters was given to Portville teens, and another type of adult booster was given to teachers, while department staff tried to educate students about hygiene to help stop the spread, she said.
Mary Ann Power, the county’s supervising health nurse, said she is expecting delivery Tuesday of a large quantity of flu vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur, which will be used to complete nursing home and home care patient inoculations at a series of clinics beginning Wednesday.
Like other flu vaccine dispensers in the United States, Cattaraugus County expects to receive piecemeal shipments of the vaccine it has ordered from Chiron. There are no shortages, but the clinics will not be completed as early as planned, Power said.
“There is a problem with Chiron sending out parts of orders. They aren’t telling us when they are coming. It’s hard to plan the clinics,” said Power.
Flu vaccine will be provided to seniors at the 11 a.m. clinics beginning today in Franklinville and Gowanda; Wednesday in Little Valley and Portville; and Thursday in Randolph and West Valley. Clinics are scheduled at the same time Nov. 14 in Salamanca and South Dayton, and will finish in Olean on Nov. 15.