Pandemic Preparedness

							Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 Pandemic Influenza Planning




         Jacqueline Weaknecht
     Supervisor, County Planning Unit
  PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
• Pennsylvania has developed a two-prong approach to
  addressing pandemic planning and formed two task
  forces

     • Department of Agriculture to prepare for the increased
       threat of an H5N1 outbreak in poultry, wild fowl and live
       stock.

     • Department of Health to ensure Pennsylvania’s citizens are
       prepared for a potential pandemic.

• Pennsylvania held a Statewide Pandemic Summit on
  March 17, 2006 in Pittsburgh.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

Department of Agriculture Planning Activities
   Developed an Avian Influenza Response Plan
   Drafted the “Poultry Worker Protection Plan.
   Continue to refine preparedness activities relating to:
     Increasing agricultural surge capacity
     Increased monitoring of the risk of the disease appearing in
     Pennsylvania poultry.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
 Department of Health Planning Activities
    PA has been doing pandemic planning since 1999.
    Influenza pandemic response activities are coordinated within
    the following workgroups:
       Human Avian Influenza Prevention Detection Policies and Processes
       Workforce Planning
       Isolation and Quarantine Procedures
       Vaccine and Medication Distribution
       Incident Coordination Response
       Public Communications Planning
       Legal Review
       Local Government
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

  Department of Health Planning Activities

     Upgraded state laboratory to expand Biosafety Level 3
     capability.
     Purchase of two (2) BSL-3 mobile labs
     Enhancement of the PA-NEDSS (National Electronic
     Disease Surveillance System)
     Implementation of a first-in-the-nation Real-time
     Outbreak Disease Syndromic Surveillance System
     (RODS)
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  National Strategy defines roles and responsibilities:
  The Federal Government will:
     Work with international organizations to assist with
     detection.
     Work to develop a vaccine to protect 20 million U.S. citizens
     Work to increase vaccine capacity so that enough vaccine can
     be produced to vaccinate each U.S. citizen within 6 months of
     recognition of a pandemic.
     Stockpile antiviral medications for 75 million people through
     Federal and state stockpiles by 2008.
     Establish policies with states on international and domestic
     travel restrictions.
     Establish effective and accurate information to the public.
     Providing funding to states to assist with pandemic
     preparedness.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
 Roles and responsibilities defined by the National
 Strategy:

 State governments will have the responsibility to:

     Establish a strategy for effective distribution of vaccines and
     anti-virals.
     Establish an effective multi-agency communications program.
     Review disease containment strategies and enforcement plans.
     Establish disease detection and reporting capabilities.
     Assist local governments in response to a pandemic outbreak.
     Ensure that state agencies have continuity of operations plans.
     Work with Department of Interior and the USDA on
     coordinating surveillance of wildlife.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Roles and responsibilities defined by the National
  Strategy:

  Local governments will have the responsibility to:

      Assist states with the location of distribution sites for
      vaccines and anti-virals.
      Establish medical surge capacity at the local level including
      the coordination of volunteers.
      Ensure critical infrastructure (sewer, water, etc.) continues
      to function during a pandemic.
      Have a uniform command and control system at the local
      level that includes integrated communications.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Everyone has at least one of the following roles:

     Employers
       Continuity of operations
       Succession planning
       Communicating to employees
       Prevention

     Education
       Educate stakeholders regarding pandemic influenza.
       Educate on what steps they should take to prepare.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Everyone has a role
     Service Provider
        Plan to continue those services
        Surge capacity for goods and people
        Increased prevention
        Protection and detection capability
        Disease containment measures
     First Responders
        Emergency Management
        Mutual Aid
        Interagency coordination
        Communication
        Technology/Utilization
        Access to surge capacity for goods and people
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Ongoing Activities
  Public education and communication. Clearly
     communicate to the public:

       Prepare people with information & toolkits
       Encourage action steps to prepare now
       Provide updates when new information emerges
       Use trusted messengers
       Coordinate to ensure consistent messages
       Address rumors and inaccuracies
       Launched Pennsylvania’s Pandemic Flu Site
       www.pandemicflu.state.pa.us.
www.pandemicflu.state.pa.us
Stakeholder Groups
FAQs
FAQs
Timely Messages/Rumor Control
Breaking News
Progression Map
Progression Map
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Activities since the March 2006 Summit

    Providing regular updated information.
    Pandemic Regional Summits.
    Reviewing legal questions of quarantine prevention
    and enforcement.
    Pandemic communications strategy.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

  Activities since the March 2006 Summit

    Communication from Dept of Education to schools
    regarding their role in preparedness.

    Local government workgroup formed.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

 Activities since the March 2006 Summit

   Commonwealth agencies completed update of the
   Continuity of Government plans.

   Antiviral purchases and stockpiles.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

  Ongoing Activities

     Local level assessments on surge capacity for beds,
     goods, volunteers, etc.
     National Plan integration into our planning process.
     Pandemic Regional Summits.
     Pandemic Coordinating Council.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  Ongoing Activities (continued)

     Strengthening essential partnerships
        Hospitals and health care providers.
        First responders and infrastructure agencies.
        Elected officials and government partners.
        Businesses.
        Schools, community based organizations.

     Strengthening capacity to rapidly vaccinate large
     populations.

     Pandemic Influenza Regional Meetings
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning

  Ongoing Activities (continued)
     Continue educating the public on Pandemic Influenza.
     Continue engaging in business continuity planning.
     Share resources and capabilities.
     Social distancing awareness.
     Encourage partnering at all levels.
     Pandemic Influenza Regional Meetings.
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning
  SAA Building Local Government Capacity for Success
    Strategic Planning
    Interoperability
    Mutual Aid
    Communications
    Policy/Procedures
    Legal/Liability Issues
    Training
PA Pandemic Influenza Planning




www.pandemicflu.state.pa.us