H1N1 Midcourse ReviewYork District Public Health Council

March 17, 2010

September 16, 2009H1N1 York District Summit Debriefing

The ConditionsH1N1 virus arrived in the US last spring; was

first detected in Maine in late April.

Vaccine began to be manufactured during the summer in 9 different formulations; the first shipments arrived in Maine by mid-October.

Nasal spray, a form of the vaccine indicated only for healthy, non-pregnant young people, arrived first and was a substantial portion of the vaccine available during the first few months.

The Conditions (cont.)US CDC initially identified 5 high priority

groups for the vaccine:

Children and youth under 25 years oldCaregivers of infants less than 6 months oldPregnant womenAdults 25-64 with underlying health conditionsHealthcare workers

The Conditions (cont.)Vaccine manufacturing – and therefore delivery – were

delayed across the county, resulting in vaccine shortages.

Clinics had to be rescheduled and priority groups were narrowed by Maine CDC based on the types of vaccine available and the populations at highest risk for hospitalization and death.

Although the H1N1 pandemic strain of influenza had been detected in Maine since late last April, most of the state experienced a surge in H1N1 disease from late October until late December, with a peak at mid-late November.

The Conditions (cont.)Mitigation strategies included:

Promotion of respiratory hygieneUse of antiviral medicinesInfection control procedures

State and federal stockpiles of antiviral medicines and personal protective equipment were deployed. The use of antiviral medicines for people at high-risk for severe disease was promoted with healthcare providers and the public, especially before vaccine became widely available.

The Conditions (cont.)Vaccine supplies were able to fully meet the

demand by early January.

Communication channels used included paid media (TV, radio, web), social media (Facebook, Twitter, blog), Health Alert Network, weekly updates, press releases & press conferences, phone bank, 211 and e-mail.

Core Questions1. What happened in your community?2. What worked well?3. If you had it to do over again, what

would you do differently, if anything?4. What have you already learned about

your community and its ability to respond to an epidemic?

Final Group Questions/ CommentsWhat unintended things have happened –

positive or negative?What would you do to better use the

positive unintended?What would you do to mitigated the

negative unintended?Is there any other information that you

have not yet shared that you would like to add at this time?

Wrap-up & Next stepsMeCDC Evaluation The results of this meeting – these responses – will be part of a report that is tentatively planned for release in May/June. It will be posted on the MeCDC website and shared with all of you.

York District Public Health CouncilState Health Plan Review: April 7, 2010, 1:00-3:00 p.m., PCCU-Saco

-York District Public Health Improvement Plan

-Next Full Council MeetingJune 2, 2010, 1:00-3:00 p.m., University

of New England, Biddeford Campus

Thank YouContact Information:

Sharon Leahy-LindYork District Public Health890 Main St., Suite 208Sanford, ME

207-490-4625sharon.leahy-lind@maine.gov

“Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you”