Urgent Info For Physicians Interested in Haiti
- Physicians wanting to help in this epic, devastating event should not
self deploy
- There is no infrastructure to support them. Spontaneous volunteers are
a liability in disaster response
- There is no electricity, water, food is scarce, and shelter is
nonexistent. Aftershocks make those buildings still standing danger zones
- Roads are impassable and those planes that do land at the airport
quickly find out that planes that cannot refuel to leave.
- The Dominican Republic will run short on resources as a nearby country
for staging
- CMS will be posting opportunities for physicians wishing to deploy there on the Disaster Preparedness website as they become available the CMS disaster Web Page
Donations should be made to Nationally or Worldwide organizations that
can get the right resources to the right people in a timely manner. While we
like to know our donations were for specific things such as 25 blankets that
went to the Smith family in Port Au Prince, large organized relief agencies
can better gauge the needs and ensure that the goods get to those who need
it. See our list below.
If physicians are not all ready registered with a recognized response
organization, this is a good time to register with the State recognized
agency - The Colorado Volunteer Mobilizer
CMS has contacted the CDC to get guidelines for recommendations for
vaccines responders should have prior to going to Haiti. This is going to
quickly turn into a public health concern with sanitation issues. These will
be posted on the CMS disaster website as they become available update: These
ARE NOW UP ON THE CMS disaster Web Page.
H1N1 Info
ICS 100 and ICS 700 Training Feb 16th
On Tuesday, February 16th, 6 – 8 pm with dinner at 5:30. The training will be at the BCMS offices, 6676 Gunpark Drive, Boulder, CO 80301. We will have a guest presenter, Frankie Gales, from Colorado Springs here to conduct the training. See Speaker's Bio
Click for: Map
Red Cross Reports: Don’t Let the Flu Get to You
January 11, 2010
The H1N1 (swine) flu virus is still prevalent across the nation and the American Red Cross encourages everyone to get vaccinated against the virus, now that the vaccine is widely available.
National Influenza Vaccination Week, which is January 10-16, serves as an opportunity for people to learn how to prevent the spread of the flu and to encourage people and their loved ones to get vaccinated against both H1N1 and seasonal flu. To find out where vaccinations are offered, visit flu.gov for a list of locations by Zip Code.“The H1N1 flu continues to be a health threat, so this is no time to be complacent,” said Sharon Stanley, chief nurse and director, Red Cross Disaster Health and Mental Health Services. “The supply for the vaccine is no longer an issue, and we don’t know whether another wave of H1N1 will occur. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is by being vaccinated.”
In the fall of 2009, the supply of H1N1 vaccine was limited, but now the vaccine is readily available. The vaccine was developed in the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccine, manufactured using the same standards and quality control measures and is considered safe.
Even though the number of people getting the flu is decreasing, the H1N1 virus is still a threat. In the past, seasonal flu usually peaked in January or February and occurred as late as May. H1N1 first appeared in the spring of 2009, and reoccurred in the fall. Officials for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caution that they still don’t know what seasonal flu outbreaks will be like this year, and if there will be additional waves of H1N1.
Join us as we prepare to help Haitian Earthquake Victims but beware of fruad.
Below are Authenticated Haitian Charities (as of Jan 13, 2010):
The FBI urges people who are looking for ways to help with earthquake relief to be wary of solicitations that could be from scam artists.
Vaccine Open to All Boulder County Residents
Dec 9, 2009
Due to increased vaccine supply, beginning tomorrow
(Thursday December 10, 2009), all residents over 6 months of age will be
eligible to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine!
With vaccine supply increasing, we now have a =
“window of
opportunity” to protect ourselves and our community before any =
possible new
wave of disease occurs. The more people that are vaccinated against =
H1N1, the
less likely the disease will continue to circulate in our community =
–
particularly to those who are unable to receive the =
vaccine.
Tamiflu not Recommended by British Researchers
Investigators found little evidence Tamiflu reduces flu complications in otherwise healthy people. The AP (12/9, Cheng) reports, "British researchers say there is little evidence Tamiflu [oseltamivir] stops complications in healthy people who catch the flu, though public health officials contend the swine flu drug reduces flu hospitalizations and deaths." In a review of "previously published papers on Tamiflu as used for seasonal flu," researchers "found insufficient data to prove whether the antiviral reduces complications...but concluded the drug shortens flu symptoms by about a day." The review, appearing online in BMJ, notes that researchers were "unable to conclude that the drug is effective at reducing complications...because they do not have access to key data from eight clinical trials sponsored by the drug's manufacturer, Roche Laboratories Inc.," the Los Angeles Times (12/8, Maugh) "Booster Shots" blog reported. For its part, Roche "said that the data...simply duplicated the results from published trials and did not provide enough information to justify publication."
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