‘Third Wave’ of H1N1 due but Number of Deaths is Lower Than Predicted

By: Jim McKay on November 05, 2009

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Alexander Garza, the DHS' assistant secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer

Photo: Alexander Garza, the DHS' assistant secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Alexander Garza tried to quell fears and provide answers to an inquisitive and anxious group at the 57th Annual International Association of Emergency Managers Conference this week in Orlando, Fla.

Garza, the DHS' assistant secretary for health affairs and chief medical officer, said eventually everyone who wants an H1N1 flu shot will be able to get one and that the delay in providing the vaccine isn’t because of a shortage but a delay in vaccine development. Most in the interactive session agreed that communications among government entities and medical facilities needs to improve.

"Developing [a vaccine] from scratch is difficult and the antigen wasn't growing well and had to be redone," Garza said. Part of the reason for the delay is that officials want to make sure the vaccine is safe. The vaccine is going through all the same safety tests that the regular flu vaccine undergoes, he said.

Projections are that the vaccinations will have caught up with demand by the end of December, Garza said. By that time, a good portion of the population may have immunity as well.

Though Garza said the "third wave" of H1N1 is on its way, there’s some good news. He said though the number of flu infections is up for this time of year, the death rate has not been as great as officials thought it might be.

A question was raised about why President Barack Obama waited so long to declare the flu a national emergency. The participant said she had nine dying patients in her intensive care unit before the declaration.

"Declaring a national emergency is a double-edged sword," Garza said. "You want policies in place [before it's done]. Also, some people interpret things the wrong way as if there's something we're not telling them."

He said there needs to be better two-way communication between local governments and the federal government about what's going on in the communities. He said the response has to be more of a community response and not just getting a vaccine.

One participant from a medical facility in Queens, N.Y., said the communication between his facility and state and local government is lacking. Garza said fusion centers would be used to help disseminate information and that "we somehow have to overcome this idea that all intelligence is law enforcement related."

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http://www.emergencymgmt.com/health/Third-Wave-of-H1N1.html

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