President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) releases report assessing H1N1 preparations

A Presidential advisory group released a report assessing the Obama Administration’s preparations for the expected fall resurgence of H1N1 virus and outlining key steps officials can take to minimize the virus’s impact on the nation.

The report concludes that the 2009 H1N1 virus will most likely not resemble the pandemic of 1918-1919 however, it “poses a serious health threat” to the nation when compared to the benign swine flu from 1976. The H1N1 virus is not deadlier than previous viruses, rather it affects more people because it is a new virus that few people have immunity to.

The group lists several prime recommendations including: accelerating the preparation of flu vaccines for distribution to high-risk individuals; clarifying guidelines for the use of antiviral medicines; upgrading the current system for tracking the pandemic’s progress and making resource allocation decisions; accelerating the development of communication strategies—including Web-based social networking tools—to broadcast public health messages that can help mitigate the pandemic’s impact; and identifying a White House point person with primary authority to coordinate key decisions across the government as the pandemic evolves.
For more about PCAST, visit: http://www.ostp.gov/cs/pcast.

The Obama administration is already taking action based on the recommendations of PCAST. The CDC is expected to release revised flu treatment guidelines by the end of the month.

At the same time, problems with vaccine production are arising. The government expected to have 120 million vaccines available October 15th, however it now estimates it will only have 45 million vaccines ready and 20 million more would be ready each week through the end of December. Read more!

State Updates on H1N1 Virus

New York and Arizona both have had changes to the handling of the H1N1 virus.

The New York State Health Department is requiring health care workers across the state to be vaccinated for the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus. The regulation affects workers and volunteers who come into contacts with patients at hospitals, in home health care agencies, and in hospice care, but through a technicality in state law, not in nursing homes.

Banner Hospitals across the state of Arizona have discontinued using the one-hour H1N1 virus test. The decision to halt use of the test, which was primarily used in emergency rooms, came because of the high number of false negatives the test produced. According to Banner microbiologist, roughly 50% of patients with negative results actually had the virus. Banner hospitals will now rely on the standard H1N1 test that takes 24 to 72 hours to complete.
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CDC Releases Business Plan for Upcoming Flu Season

The Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced new guidance for businesses to plan for and respond to the upcoming flu season. The CDC designed the guidance to help employers prepare for the impact the seasonal and 2009 H1N1 virus could have this fall and winter on their employees and operations.

The guidance may be found at http://www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/guidance.html. CDC has also produced a communication toolkit for businesses and employers, which is attached and may also be found at http://www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning/toolkit.html.
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Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities

EAD & Associates along with The National Council on Disability (NCD) released a report titled Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities. The report recommends changes in emergency management and goes over practices that would better address the needs of people with disabilities. The report dives into examples of existing successful practices and evaluates emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts taken by both public and private sectors. Read more!

No COLA for Social Security and SSI Beneficiaries Possible for 2010

The recent Social Security Trustees report indicates the possibility of no cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security and SSI beneficiaries for 2010. Annual Social Security benefits increases are, by law, based on the rate of inflation in the third quarter of the previous year; the law prevents benefits from being reduced based on negative inflation. Since it is predicted that this years' third quarter (July through September) will show no increase in inflation, the expectation is that there will be no COLA for benefits in 2010. Advocates for Congressional intervention point out that an automatic increase in Medicare prescription drug program premiums will result in reduced funds available to meet beneficiaries' monthly expenses. The Social Security Administration typically reports on the up-coming COLA amounts in mid-October. Read more!