Is your state ready for the flu

[Snowmom]

 

What the government says we need, in case of the bird flu.

 

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/checklist.html

 

Under the list, click on some of the other places and you can make forms for:

 

Family Emergency Health Information Sheet

 

Emergency Contacts Form

 

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US government is told to get ready for the Bird Flu, 2006

 

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_1135.cfm

 

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http://www.startribune.com/local/13642341.html

 

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January 2009

 

http://pandemicflu.gov/plan/states/state_assessment.html

 

There are charts and such, you have to scroll down the page to see them. Is your state ready for a pandemic?? MN sure isn't ready.

 

Operating Objective A.1 - Sustaining Operations of State Agencies and Supporting and Protecting Government Workers

 

Lead Department – Department of Labor (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

 

Supporting Entities – Department of Commerce, White House Office of Personnel Management, and Department of Health and Human Services (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, National Institutes of Health)

 

General Comments

 

For some of the Supporting Activities needed to achieve this Operating Objective, the reviewers believe that the States are better prepared than was indicated by the information submitted. They understand and appreciate the time constraints States were under, but many of the submissions suffered from a lack of coordination or communications among State agencies, and thus what was submitted likely did not capture all the planning that had been done. However, incomplete responses to a data request could indicate a lack of coordination among state agencies when the next pandemic strikes.

 

The reviewers encountered difficulties while conducting proper assessments because many activities are the responsibility of all State agencies, and it was not clear whether each State agency had an operating plan in place or was prepared to implement it. Lastly, States that submitted numerous documents often times did not have a single overarching State government (i.e., State-wide) plan that referenced additional agency-specific documents. State leaders will need such a document to understand and implement its overall plan for dealing with a pandemic.

 

States that had a State-wide plan, supplemented by agency plans, or States that had one agency that supplied direction, guidance documents, examples, assistance and/or templates to all agencies seemed to have a better understanding of what planning was needed to sustain operations and protect and support workers during an influenza pandemic. Some States use annexes to their agency Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans; this generally proved to be a good approach to evaluating the unique circumstances of a pandemic and creating plans to address those circumstances. However, a traditional COOP plan does not contain all of the planning requirements needed to sustain State operations during a pandemic and protect and support workers in State agencies. Communication between COOP planners and pandemic planners (if they are not one and the same) is crucial.

 

The reviews validated the desirability of using Pandemic Coordinators who might ensure that all agencies are prepared and further to ensure consistency (where needed) across agencies. Another successful approach was the coordination of planning through a Working Group, Steering Committee or other State-wide team. In addition, support for and interest by the Governor’s office and requirements that all agencies prepare plans also resulted in stronger, more effective plans.

 

Summary Data

 

SUMMARY RATING

NUMBER

 

No Major Gaps

0

 

A Few Major Gaps

0

 

Many Major Gaps

2

 

Inadequate Preparedness

54

 

Not Applicable

0

 

Total

56

 

 

STATES WITH NO MAJOR GAPS

 

None

 

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Makes us feel real safe, right, don't think so. Therefore, we must all do everything we can to be ready for this ourselves. Even after the states were told in 2006 to get ready for this problem, they are soooo far behind.

 

Now, a few nights ago on our news, they said there was a place to go and tell who you thought should live and who should not get the shots. If I remember, there were about 3 or more times as many who would NOT get the shot as those who would get it. So, again we HAVE TO DO THIS OURSELVES. Be sure to get what you need before things go south.

 

There is so much more on this last site, just couldn't copy and paste it all.

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[kimba]

Thanks Snow-mom! That's was so very interesting reading.

 

I've known for awhile that I'm not as fully prepped as I need to be in this area.

 

But I WILL change that!

 

Kimba