CDPH Delivering Millions of N95 Respirators
Besides filling more than 5 million orders for H1N1 vaccine doses, the Department of Public Health has distributed 7.3 million N95s to 27 counties in California.
Along with filling more than 5 million orders for H1N1 vaccine doses, the California Department of Public Health has helped counties in the state cope with the H1N1 pandemic by distributing 7.3 million N95 respirators as of Nov. 23. A spokesman for the agency said those 7.3 million N95s have be handed out to 27 counties in California.
CDPH stockpiled 50 million N95 respirators a few years ago when respiratory pandemics were a worldwide concern, and this year's H1N1 influenza pandemic caused the department to decide to distribute as much as half of that stockpile in recent months. CDPH's Ken August provided the 7.3 million figure.
"These respirators are an emergency supply. They're in addition to whatever respirators the local health department would purchase on its own," August said. For more information about the department's H1N1 activities and advisories, visit this page.