H1N1 Update July 29, 2009THE CITY OF Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: H1N1 Update
DATE: July 29, 2009
Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan has provided an update on the Novel
Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
Michael C. Van i igen
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Mary Rose Corrigan, RN, Public health Specialist
THE CITY OF Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
~ 2007
TO: Michael C. Van Millig~i,~ity Manager
FROM: Mary Rose Corrigan, ~N, Public Health Specialist
SUBJECT: H1N1 Update
DATE: July 17, 2009
Iowa is experiencing minimal cases of Novel Influenza A (H1N1). Sporadic cases are
occurring throughout the state, however, data is not being kept on a county level due to
the low incidence of testing and sporadic submissions from sentinel influenza sites. To
date, Dubuque County has had three laboratory confirmed reported cases.
This week the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) released the CDC grant
guidance for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund and Public
Emergency Response to H1 N1. The Iowa Department of Public Health will be
submitting a grant application to CDC for funding to assess their current capabilities and
pandemic influenza response and address remaining gaps. If funded, State and local
public health H1 N1 activities will revolve around two focus areas:
Focus area 1: vaccination, antiviral distribution/dispensing and administration,
community mitigation, and other associated pandemic preparedness and
response activities.
Focus area 2: laboratory, epidemiology, surveillance, and other associated
pandemic preparedness and response activities.
Activities to address these two focus areas may include:
• Finalize vaccination planning for public health
• Organize clinics
• Identify and engage private sector partners for potential vaccine administration
• Define potential vaccine receiving sites
• Dissemination of information related to potential influenza vaccination campaign
through multiple channels
• Packing of vaccine and vaccine supplies
• Other activities related to influenza diagnostic laboratory testing, focused on
University Hygienic Laboratory (UHL)
• Activities for influenza epidemiology and surveillance
The Iowa Department of Public Health will contract with local boards of health after they
receive funding from CDC to carry out many of these activities. Activities will be
performed by IDPH, UHL, and other laboratories and local public health agencies.
Counties will have to develop a work plan for completing the activities.
IDPH does not know how much vaccine the State or each county will receive, nor do
they know the priority groups for receiving vaccine. Regardless of the amount, it is
assumed there will not be enough H1 N1 vaccine to cover the entire population.
Therefore, we will have to also rely on other traditional measures to prevent and curtail
the spread of H1 N1 and seasonal influenza.
When the Dubuque County Board of Health receives their contact for the H1 N1 funds,
the Dubuque County, VNA and City of Dubuque Health Services Department will
coordinate to formulate and implement a H1 N1 work plan. The funds will primarily be
distributed to local Boards of Health on a population basis. The H1N1 funding will be a
separate contract from the regular County Public Health Preparedness Grant funds,
which will also be starting a new cycle in August 2009.
As we receive guidance from IDPH and develop our local work plan, I will keep you
advised.
M RC/cj