Pandemic Flu - Holbrook/Avon Emergency Dispensing Site


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The information on this page is brought to you by the Holbrook Board of Health = and the Holbrook Health Department.

Information about Pandemic Flu

and the

Holbrook - Avon Pandemic Flu

Emergency Dispensing Site

Kathy Moriarty, Health Agent

Introduction

Pandemic Flu and its effects on Holbrook

and the surrounding towns

(Avon, Randolph, and Stoughton)

Every year, people die from Influenza. This is an unavoidable fact. Every year, a flu vaccine is made available, and although in some y= ears it is not a perfect match for the strain of the flu that is present, many people are spared the effects of the flu.

Every 20-40 years, a strain of flu develops that is unlike any previously seen. Because it is new, people do not have a natural resistan= ce to it, and it can cause a large number of illnesses and fatalities. Depen= ding on the severity of the spread of this new type of flu, a pandemic can be declared by public health officials.

A pandemic flu will cause many of the social and government structures that we rely on every day to function at a level that is “less than ideal.” For example, local stores, including groce= ry stores, could be shut down due to a lack of staff (either sick or just staying home out of fear of getting the flu), or a shortage of supplies brought upon by a lack of truck drivers to deliver the supplies.

Government agencies, including police and fire departments, c= ould see a shortage of employees as staff gets sick or their family members get sick and need support at home. Police and firefighters have family also, = and their needs are the same as everyone else!

Most importantly, Hospitals will be overwhelmed! The major hospitals that normally see patients from Holbrook and Avon, including South Shore Hospital, Caritas Good Samarit= ans, and Brockton Hospital, are in the best of tim= es operating at close to capacity, and economic realities prevent them from having extra beds and equipment on hand. Plans are being developed to use Medical Reserve Corps and obtain extra space for surge capacity. However, staff and equipment shortages will be a factor and waiting time will be a concern.

Federal, State, and Local officials have been planning for ye= ars for this eventuality. The towns Holbrook and Avon have joined together to plan for a joint Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) which will be located at Holbrook High School on South Franklin Street. If a Pandemic is declared = and a decision by Federal, State and Local officials is made to open the EDS,= flu vaccine will be sent to Holbrook High School and dispensed by healthcare professionals, most of whom will be volunteers, w= ith support from a trained staff of local residents.

Once it is opened as the EDS, Local residents will come to Holbrook High for the Flu Vaccine. Rationing and Prioritizing may be necessary at first until adequate stocks of vaccine can be delivered.

The best thing that you can do now to ready your household fo= r a pandemic flu is to:

EDUCATE yourself
Create= a DISASTER KIT using a multi-hazard approach
Volunt= eer for the EDS, the Medical Reserve Corps, and or local Emergency Management.

This website will help you do all of the above!

How will I be notified that the eds is open?

When a decision is made to open the EDS, the general public w= ill be notified by several methods.

A mess= age will be emailed to the subscribers of the town-wide public email (see our HOMEPAGE= for more information).

OUR HO= MEPAGE ( http://www.holbrook= emergencycenter.org ) WILL ALSO PROMINENTLY DISPLAY UPDATED INFORMATION! DURING AN EMERGENCY, ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE WEBSITE WILL BE DISCONTINUED AND ONLY UPDATED EMERG= ENCY INFORMATION WILL BE LISTED.

Notifi= cations will also be made through the news media. Announcements will be made= to all TV, radio, and newspaper outlets serving the Holbrook and Avon A= rea.

The announcements will include information about when the ED is opening,= and any rationing or prioritizing that may be required until a full leve= l of staffing and vaccine is available.

Please Join Us AND Serve Your Community

How to volunteer

For the EDS to operate over a 48 hour period, we need approximately 300-400 volunteers, and probably more. This is a huge numbe= r of people! We need people with various skills, not just medical, to help us = make this program a success.

To volunteer for = the Randolph Medical Reserve Corps, and/or the Holbroo= k / Avon Emergency Dispensing Site, send an email to = Kathy Moriarty or call her at 781-767-303= 0 for more information!

FOR MORE INFORMATI= ON

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Click Here: General Information about Pandemic Flu

Section Contents:

Some affects of Pandemic Flu
What you can do now!
Flu Pandemic Home Care
Typical symptoms include
Here are some tips to keep from spreading your germs to others, and to keep from catching someone else’s germs.
Infection Control Measures in the Home<= /li>

&Osla= sh; &nbs= p; proper hand washing

Management of Well Persons in the Home<= /li>
Management of Influenza Patients
Warning Signs to seek urgent medical care

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Click Here: A checklist to Help Prepare Your Family for a Pandemi= c Flu

Section Contents:

To plan for a pandemic
To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection
Items to have on hand for an extended stay at home

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Click Here: How is the Emergency Dispensing Site Organized=

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Section Contents:

Incident Command System

Ø &nbs= p; ICS-100

Ø &nbs= p; NIMS-700

Organizational Chart of the Senior Command Positions (Town-wide)

Ø &nbs= p; Job Action Sheets

Organizational Chart of Emergency Dispensing Site

Ø &nbs= p; Job Action Sheets

Job Action sheets in Table Format

Ø &nbs= p; Job Action Sheets

The informa= tion on this page is brought to you by the Holbrook Board of Health <= /span>

and the Hol= brook Health Department.