Infectious Disease Emergency Planning

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Infectious Disease Emergency Planning Lessons
Learned

• March 2003
• Donna Lazorik, MS, RN
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health

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351 local health departments
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Infectious Disease Emergency Planning -
Assumptions

• Most of the impact and most of the response will
  be local
• Integrated, non-categorical approach is best

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What is an infectious disease emergency?

• Influenza Pandemic
• Bioterrorism
• Hepatitis A in a food handler
• N. meningitidis in a school
• Something we havent thought of

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Infectious Disease Emergency Planning - Goals

• Ability to respond to any infectious disease
  emergency
• Enhanced public health infrastructure

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Established relationships
• Clear roles
• Clear lines of authority
• Clear lines of communication
• Preferably in writing

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Coordinated communication
• Facilitate response
• Minimize panic

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Effective surveillance
• Ability to rapidly detect an infectious disease
  emergency

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Flexible surge capacity
• Hospitals
• Workforce
• Communication systems

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Educated public and responders
• Effective response
• Minimize panic

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Infectious Disease EmergenciesEffective Response

• Regionalization
• Shared resources
• Shared expertise

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Local Infectious Disease Emergency Planning
Bioterrroism
Nuclear
Pandemic
Hep A Meninge Measles
Chem
Natural
Man made
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Local Infectious Disease Emergency Planning

• Template for Local Planning for
• Infectious Disease Emergencies
• Infectious Disease Emergency
• Tabletop

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Initiatives to Enhance Immunization Program and
Prepare for Emergencies

• Enhance surveillance for flu and rash illness
• Full-time influenza epidemiologist
• Full-time rash illness epidemiologist

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Initiatives to Enhance Immunization Program and
Prepare for Emergencies

• Develop Cadre of Trained Volunteers
• Assist with administration of vaccine
• Staff hotlines
• Met needs of people in their homes

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Initiatives to Enhance Immunization Program and
Prepare for Emergencies

• Outreach to special populations
• Non-English speaking
• Ethnic communities
• Homeless and homebound
• People with disabilities

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Important Elements in Local Infectious Disease
Emergency Planning

• Strong relationships with emergency response,
  public safety and medical folks
• Clear and mutual understanding of everyones role

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Important Elements in Local Infectious Disease
Emergency Planning

• Contingency plans for high absenteeism
• Cadre of trained volunteers
• Plan for emergency vaccination/medication clinics

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What to look out for in emergency planning

• Assumption that everyone is on the same page
• Different terms and concepts among different
  disciplines
• Too many spokesmen

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Infectious Disease Emergency Planning - Benefits

• Increased resources
• Educated workforce
• Effective response in an
• emergency

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Infectious Disease Emergency Planning - Benefits

• People talking to each other
• Its not the plan,
• its the planning

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