H1N1 Pandemic Flu


Are They Up to the Challenge?

They're the front lines and the heart of the nation's defense against the H1N1 flu, and the care they provide will be vital during the 2009/2010 U.S. flu season. How well the employees of about 5,000 hospitals can perform their duties may depend on those individuals' willingness to receive flu vaccinations, as health care professional associations and leaders of this year's Joint Commission Resources Flu Vaccination Challenge 2009-2010 strongly encourage.

OSHA Presents Forum on Preparing Workplaces for H1N1

To help employers prepare for the potential impact this virus could have on their workplaces, OSHA is presenting a forum today.

Q&A: Understanding the Flu Vaccine

The Mount Sinai Medical Center recently released a Q&A with Infection Control Ocfficer David Pr. Calfee, M.D., concerning flu vaccination.

Study of Med Center's Move Informs Surge Planning

The June 2008 relocation of the UCLA Medical Center involved limiting incoming transfers and more efficient discharge, enabling a smooth transition without interrupting emergency services, an Archives of Surgery paper reports.

No Airborne Transmission Found in Chinese HINI Outbreak

Preventing transmission by droplets is the key recommendation from researchers who analyzed the June 2009 outbreak among a tour group visiting southwestern China. Thermal scanning and health questionnaires at the Chinese airports did not detect symptomatic passengers.

This image is displayed on a page from the health care system offering H1N1 information for patients and families.

Health System Goes All-Out for Employee Vaccination

Cook Children's Health Care System of Fort Worth, Texas, has boosted its employees' flu vaccination rates from 66 percent to 84 percent in the past two years.

Panel Recommends N95s for H1N1-Exposed Health Workers

The Institute of Medicine committee also recommended funding research to design and develop the next generation of respirators for health workers.

Needlesticks and infectious diseases are hazards to which large numbers of health care workers are exposed.

NORA Panel Outlines Health Care Agenda

The next decade of NIOSH's research for the fastest-growing, most diverse sector of the U.S. economy should tackle big, persistent hazards: lifting, chemicals, diseases, stress, and violence in facilities and nonhospital settings, including home care.



image from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius YouTube video announcing PSA contest

Finalists Chosen in HHS Flu Video Contest

What can a doctor's rap, a man wielding a chainsaw, and a troupe of young dancers taking five on a sound stage do to encourage good health practices for this flu season? Vote now, and soon your favorite PSA may be on the air.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones heads the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Canadian Summit Next Week on Treating Severe H1N1

The Sept. 2-3 meeting will produce new treatment guidelines and guidance on identifying surge capacity for hospitals during a severe outbreak, said Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada's chief public health officer.

John P. Holdren is assistant to President Obama for Science and Technology and a co-chair of PCAST

White House Posts Update on H1N1 Preparedness

The update responds to recommendations from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which completed a report on flu readiness that is also on the White House Web site.

the Contingency Planning & Management logo

Business Continuity Site Has the Goods

The new design of Contingency Planning & Management's Web site makes it easy for visitors to find the latest news about schools' and others' preparations for H1N1 flu, along with resources across the full business continuity spectrum.

FACOSH Meeting Sept. 15 on Agencies' H1N1 Planning

Getting federal employees ready for pandemic flu is the subject of a draft report OSHA's Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health will consider next month.

William Schaffner, M.D., is chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and professor of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

2009 Flu Vaccination Challenge Begins

With a very challenging flu season ahead, year two of the Joint Commission Resources' Flu Vaccination Challenge has a goal of building on last year's success at raising the flu vaccination rate among U.S. health care workers.

Podcast Examines Arsenic Exposure's Effect on Flu Susceptibility

In the latest installment of "The Researcher's Perspective," the new podcast series by Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP), Dr. Josh Hamilton discusses the potential implications of his recent mouse study on arsenic exposure and immune response to influenza A/H1N1.

Sanofi Pasteur Files H1N1 Vaccine Application

The company began U.S. clinical trials Aug. 6 and plans to test the vaccine's immunogenicity and safety, with about 2,000 people getting it in the trials.

a health worker wears a medical mask and protective eyewear

IOM Panel Studying Health Workers' H1N1 PPE Needs

By Sept. 1, the 14-member committee will provide a letter report to CDC and OSHA addressing personal protective equipment needs for this crucial workforce.

flags of many countries

Safety Cooperation Advances on Several Fronts

Safety authorities around the world, working together in some cases, have focused recently on health issues, construction falls, hospital-associated infections, and aviation safety.

CDC Strongly Urging More to Accept Flu Vaccines

Dr. Anne Schuchat today said CDC recommends about 83 percent of the U.S. population get the seasonal flu vaccine, but only 40 percent did last year. Health care workers should get it and also the H1N1 vaccine when it's ready.

image from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius YouTube video announcing PSA contest

HHS 'Viral Marketing' Creates a Little Buzz

The prospect of winning $2,500 and national TV exposure for a 15- or 30-second flu video in the HHS contest enticed 20 entries in its first two weeks.

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