Public Health

(CIDRAP News) – Federal officials, along with representatives from four vaccine companies, appeared before two US House of Representatives committees today to answer questions about why the nation hasn't stretched scarce pandemic vaccine supply with adjuvants and if a more federally directed distribution system might help vaccine get to more high-risk patients.

(CIDRAP News) – Leaders of the US Senate Homeland Security Committee sharply critiqued the federal government's H1N1 vaccination strategy yesterday, saying health officials should have recommended targeting only the highest-risk groups as soon as the vaccine delays came to light.

(CIDRAP News) – After input from professional groups, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance for managing pandemic flu in labor and delivery settings, relaxing some restrictions on keeping sick moms from their babies.

Making paid sick leave a national standard is crucial to controlling the H1N1 pandemic and future epidemics, public health and business experts told Congress Tuesday.

(CIDRAP News) – In an effort to gauge how pandemic vaccine messages are being received outside the Washington, DC, beltway, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday held a tabletop exercise in Minneapolis and included participants from local media outlets and public health departments.

(CIDRAP News) – The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicted today that the current wave of H1N1 influenza is likely to begin to wane before the shortage of vaccine for it eases.

Dr. Thomas Frieden made the comment at a wide-ranging US House subcommittee session that aired the reasons for and impact of the vaccine delays and the prospects for avoiding a repeat of the problem. The session was streamed over the Web.

(CIDRAP News) – In a measure designed to help hospitals respond more quickly to surging numbers of pandemic H1N1 cases, President Barack Obama on Oct 24 signed an emergency declaration that will help facilities establish alternative care sites and protocols for triage and transport.

(CIDRAP News) – In a move designed to lighten the burden on emergency departments and clinics, Minnesota officials today unveiled a flu triage line staffed by nurses who can discuss symptoms with sick patients, suggest treatment steps, and prescribe an antiviral drug if the caller is in a high-risk category.

(CIDRAP News) – Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius promised a Senate committee today that the flow of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine doses will greatly improve in November, following its slow start this month.