Now tracking the new emerging South Africa Omicron Variant |
"green" status to only seven states |
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DAX COM
Valued Member Joined: April 02 2006 Status: Offline Points: 202 |
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Posted: May 25 2006 at 7:00am |
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Most states and cities lack adequate plans to dole out drugs and respirators
needed to combat a flu pandemic, leaving the nation with a critical gap in preparedness, public health officials say.
Source: USA Today
Thanks to Dlugose for the link!
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'... Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says his department will review
preparedness plans. "I don't think we have any time to lose," Keep prepping!
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Linda
V.I.P. Member Joined: April 02 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 265 |
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Dax....I'm back yea! Thank you and also..Joe...wenmelon ,Millie and "Albert" for all your help....it's so good to be able to post again. I hope Pa is one of the green states because last I heard they weren't stocking tamiflu.
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Insanity is making the same mistakes and expecting different results....therefore...Those who don't learn from history are bound to go insane.
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DAX COM
Valued Member Joined: April 02 2006 Status: Offline Points: 202 |
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WHY? That's my question - why on God's Green earth isn't the DHS addressing this, giving it every priority to insure that the system works?
WHY? Only seven states have been granted green status? 43 others and D.C. are unprepared or only partially prepared? And six are labeled RED for the love of God? WHY? What is going on here? Are the so-called leaders and people is positions so irresponsible and inept that they cannot do what is necessary?
I get so ***sed when I read things like this!
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peep
Valued Member Joined: April 05 2006 Status: Offline Points: 31 |
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Sigh, why would we expect them to be forthcoming about which states? It fits the pattern in which the Avian Flu has been handled from the beginning. They only admit to anything when they cannot deny it any longer.
Part of this is the fault of the media and the prevalent narcisstic American attitude. |
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could we have a link to the article please....thanks
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DAX COM
Valued Member Joined: April 02 2006 Status: Offline Points: 202 |
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I will say this much: If I had a position in the Government, I would have everybody on the phone for a tele-conference and by tommarrow morning all the states would be ready to go or I would take out an ad and publish the list in the New York Times for everyone to see. I have a message for all those state governments who aren't prepared yet:
"Time is short. Your responsibilty is to protect the people of your state, to be ready today, not tomarrow or next week, but TODAY."
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DAX COM
Valued Member Joined: April 02 2006 Status: Offline Points: 202 |
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The states certainly need to prepare, but they shouldn't depend on the national stockpile.
Thousands of masks don't go far in a country with almost 300 million people and the millions of doses of Tamiflu won't cover even 1% of our population. |
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The article is at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-05-23-stockpile_x.htm I'll be looking for more clues about states that are prepared to use the Strategic Stockpile. It has come up in meetings in Mass., so I hope we are prepared and will try to find out why not if we are not! I'll post what I find out if it amounts to much.
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DAX COM
Valued Member Joined: April 02 2006 Status: Offline Points: 202 |
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We shouldn't have to be looking for "clues". It should be public knowledge posted up on the DHS and CDC websites for everyone to see so that voices can heard, our concerns as citizens expressed and directed towards getting something done to correct the problem. It is irresponsible and downright criminal IMO that agencies withold this type of information from the people who are concerned and btw are paying their salaries.
And then they have the temerity to wonder why there is zero trust between the people and the government and these agencies.
Give us the information and We, the Public, will do something about the glaring deficencies.
Can you all tell I am mad about this?
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I tracked this first to an article at http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/dec0705prep2.html
and from there it was obvious to go to this organization who is trying to
publicize and get people to call for action to US governments at all levels
to take action NOW. Trust For America's Health (<--click) is always a good
organization and NOW they have a special website to activate
the public and government around this issue. Please visit
I think maybe this organization is so good we should list them on our
main page to let our folks know how they can influence government
and public opinion. We can send them some visitors and we can get
ideas from them on what we can do collectively!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?????
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can i put that graphic on my blog? Did you create it?
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I got it from a branch website to http://www.pandemicfluandyou.org/
Go to http://capwiz.com/healthyam/ and near the bottom of the page click on "Web Sticker: Put our "Write-to-Congress" web sticker on YOUR web site!"
This site helps you contact elected officials, etc., and they seem to have done their homework to make it easy to influence the appropriate people.
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thanks...neighbor from MA
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Totally frustrating.
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Jhetta
Valued Member Joined: March 28 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1272 |
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I found info for California TFAH Report for 2005 Here
Just Pick your State on the Map Learn About California's Bioterrorism Preparedness Used the red link to find the below info. New TFAH Report Gives a 'D+' Grade to Federal Health Emergency Preparedness; California Receives 5 Out of 10 Preparedness Indicators Report Finds Preparedness Efforts Must Be Accelerated and More Realistic Contacts: Laura Segal (202) 223-9870 x 278 or lsegal@tfah.org or Michael Earls at (202) 223-9870 x 273 or mearls@tfah.org Washington, D.C., December 6, 2005 - Trust for America's Health (TFAH) today released the third annual "Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism," which found that both federal and state preparedness for major health emergencies must be accelerated in order to adequately protect the American people. In the two-part report, the federal government received a grade of D+ for post-9/11 public health emergency preparedness, and over half of states garnered a score of 5 or less out of 10 possible points for key indicators of health emergency preparedness, such as capabilities to test for chemical and biological threats and hospital surge capacity to care for patients in a mass emergency. "We need to stop shrugging our shoulders and start rolling up our sleeves," said Lowell Weicker, Jr., TFAH Board President and former three-term U.S. Senator and Governor of Connecticut. "The response to Hurricane Katrina was a sharp indictment of America's emergency response capabilities. This report provides further evidence of the major gap between response 'plans' and 'realities.' We need to get real in our planning for health emergencies." The grade of the federal government's performance was based on a survey of 20 leading public health experts, who evaluated 12 different aspects of health emergency preparedness. Among the results:
California was one of 16 states to receive 5 indicators. Delaware, South Carolina and Virginia scored the highest, achieving eight of ten possible indicators. Alabama, Alaska, Iowa and New Hampshire scored the lowest, achieving only two indicators.
The data for the public health indicators are from publicly available sources or public officials in 2005. The data for the hospital related indicators are based on a survey conducted in the summer of 2005 of over 1800 members of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), whose members are experts in infection prevention and serve a "watchdog" role for infectious disease issues in hospitals throughout the nation. "Accelerated, immediate action must be taken to bridge the gap in our nation's preparedness no matter the threat," said Shelley A. Hearne, DrPH, Executive Director of TFAH. "The health community has worked tirelessly since 9/11 to make improvements, but serious vulnerabilities still remain. While there is no way to be 100 percent prepared, there are still basic achievable levels of preparedness we have yet to meet. Americans deserve - and must demand - better." "Hospitals and health care workers are at the front lines of protecting the country from infectious diseases and bioterrorism," said Kathy L. Warye, Executive Director of APIC. "This report demonstrates that much more must be done to better equip and protect health care workers to prepare for major health emergencies." TFAH's "Let's Get Real" agenda for accelerated preparedness includes:
TFAH's report was supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Bauman Foundation, and the Beldon Fund. TFAH's report and state-by-state materials are accessible at: www.healthyamericans.org Trust for America's Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, one of the supporters of this report, focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need-the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. |
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Jhetta
Valued Member Joined: March 28 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1272 |
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Nation Still Unprepared for Health Crisis [February 1, 2006, AJHP News]
BETHESDA, MD, 13 January 2006 — While considerable progress has been made in improving America's health emergency preparedness in the past four years, the nation continues to be inadequately prepared to respond to a major health crisis, according to a study released in December 2005 by the nonprofit Trust for America's Health (TFAH). Hurricane Katrina, the report noted, provided a sharp indictment of America's emergency-response capabilities as the gaps between plans and reality became strikingly evident. "Parts of the public health system did not work, and while many did work as intended, those functions were often too limited and divorced from other response activities to match the real needs in a timely way," TFAH stated in its report Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism. While federal officials have recently voiced concerns about a potential influenza pandemic, little has been done to ensure that state and local governments have adequate funding and resources to respond, according to the report. Much more must be done to better equip health care workers to prepare for major health emergencies, TFAH urged. "During catastrophes, ranging from a hurricane to a major disease outbreak to a bioterrorism attack, public health and health care professionals act as first responders, investigators, strategists, and medical care providers," the report's authors stated. "They must diagnose and contain the spread of disease and treat individuals who were injured or may have been exposed to infectious or harmful materials." But, according to the report, hospitals in 15 states, including California, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas, and the District of Columbia, have not sufficiently planned to care for a surge of extra patients by using nonhealth care facilities, such as community centers, sports arenas, or hotels. TFAH found that hospitals in only two states—Rhode Island and South Dakota—have sufficient plans, incentives, or provisions to encourage health care workers to continue to come to work during a major infectious disease outbreak. The report noted that in the days after Hurricane Katrina, more than 30% of the New Orleans Police Department did not report for duty, an indication that "planning must not only account for absences, but also seek to address worker concerns." States should conduct and maintain a census of local health care professionals—current and retired—to help supplement their work force during emergencies, TFAH recommended. According to the report, hospitals in 15 states lack sufficient capabilities to consistently and rapidly consult with infection control experts about possible or suspected disease outbreaks. Hospitals in 16 states have not sufficiently prioritized distribution of vaccines or antiviral medications to hospital workers, the report stated. Nearly half of states do not use national standards to track disease outbreak information. Only seven states—one more since last year's TFAH report—are adequately prepared to distribute and administer materials from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)—a national cache of medications, vaccines, and supplies that can be deployed within 12 hours to areas struck by disasters, including bioterrorism. New York City was deemed adequately prepared to distribute and administer materials from the SNS, the report stated, but New York state was not. In a survey of 20 public health and bioterrorism-preparedness experts conducted by TFAH for its report, one respondent said, "In concept, the SNS is a critically valuable resource. In operation, the SNS is shrouded in mystery and the worst kind of bureaucracy." The respondents gave the SNS a grade of C+. Overall, the respondents gave the federal public health and bioterrorism performance a grade of D+. "We need to stop shrugging our shoulders and start rolling up our sleeves," Lowell Weicker Jr., TFAH board president and a former U.S. senator and Connecticut governor, said in a statement. "We need to get real in our planning for health emergencies." —Donna Young
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Thanks DAX COM - I posted our state's (Mississippi) in the Community Preparedness Forum. We got 4 out of 10 (a D+) overall. Boo hoo.
We've still got time, though, and I'm stepping up my e-mails. I'm more
worried about individual preparedness, though, at this point.
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Thanks Jhetta,
If my kid ever turned in a report card like Illinois - no playstation for a month! At least we scored green state status.
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Jhetta
Valued Member Joined: March 28 2006 Status: Offline Points: 1272 |
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I agree... the sad thing is that it has been going on for years and only a few of us have noticed!
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According to Trust for America the 7 green states are : DELAWARE, FLORIDA, ILINOIS, LOUISIANA, MISSOURI, TEXAS, AND VIRGINIA. Of course I live in Alabama and my state is not even close to being prepared.
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Left Field
Adviser Group Joined: January 13 2006 Status: Offline Points: 176 |
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I don't even like the thought of this. They are green, prepared, prepared for what? Do you think for one minute that the green states have enough food stockpiled, water stored, tamiful (if it's any good), or resperators for the majority of the people in their state? Doubt it very much. They are prepared to take care of only the government workers who are close to whoever is running the state and some local governments. Do you think the governor would give a puft about the mayor in wide-bend-in-the-road-berg? This is a joke. |
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I live in a so-called "green" state (TX) and I can guarantee you that in my area, they are not ready. In the city, they hired two bird flu staff (coordinator types) very recently. I'm sure those staffers are still waiting for their office supplies from the stockroom. Figure it will be a few months before they are up and really working. (This is hoping they are really qualified and not political payback jobs.)
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Fenwulfr
V.I.P. Member Joined: May 17 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 60 |
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I asked Shawn McCalister (the DOH representative that put on the presentation for us last wednessday) about the "Green Status" we've been discussing on the board recently. She didn't know what I was talking about so I sent her the link to that USA Today article. She got back to me on it yesterday and so here's what she had to say. Included is her contact information, but I don't think she'd appreciate be innundated with phone calls.
Hello Corey,
It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday. I appreciated the information that you brought along, especially the handouts for the group.
I reviewed the article and called my contacts with the WA State Dept of Health, and this "green, yellow, red" status that is referred to in the article has no correlation as to whether a state will receive ant-virals or other supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The Feds have asked states to do Pandemic Planning. Future Dept. of Health and Human Services Grant funding may be awarded based on each states overall success towards developing their plans, but this is a separate matter from the SNS. The SNS will be available to any state who requests it, depending upon availability (unless the resource has already been used by another jurisdiction).
You may already have the following link; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12375868
But if you don't-- it's updated monthly, and does a great job showing the spread of H5N1 throughtout the world.
Good to meet you!
Shawn
Shawn McCallister Program Coordinator/Health Planner Pierce County Dept. of Emergency Management Desk: (253) 798-7542 Fax: (253) 798-2200 Direct Connect: 112*75*874 Email: smccal1@co.pierce.wa.us |
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Focusing on the obvious will lead to disaster. It's what you don't aniticipate that gets you killed.
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The thread has slid off the main page and the data here is very important in knowing and understanding, at least at the time, the study was done, what the real situation was in each state to face a Pandemic.
http://www.rwjf.org/files/publications/ReadyorNot2005.pdf I do want to keep this document up for download. I am seeing bits and pieces of it quoted and here and comments - but this is a link to the 80 or so page document which is pretty comprehensive. It is very confusing that "Green Status" is being stated has nothing to do with the ability of a state to distribute supplies from the main stockpile. Quoting this study : Only seven states and two cities have achieved “green” status for the Strategic National Stockpile, which means being recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as adequately prepared to administer and distribute vaccines and antidotes in the event an emergency |
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I found out I live in a green state (Illinois). I e-mailed our county health department and got a very positive reply from the Kane County Emergency Response coordinator. He informed me our county has achieved green status as well. He said our county has had the avian flu on its radar for a few years now but more recently has begun more ground level prep planning. He outlined many future roundtable events and has offered to provide presentations to any groups that are interested. Encouraging. I will see if I can get him to offer any insight into this supposed distribution grid.
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