Pandemic Influenza Plan - Questar III

Section 3: Healthcare Planning and Emergency Response
To achieve these ends, healthcare facilities must establish systems to effectively screen
workers for respiratory symptoms; reinforce proper use of PPE (section 4: Infection
Control), hand hygiene and other infection control measures; review time-off policies and
have a plan for reassignment of high-risk personnel (e.g., pregnant women, immunocompromised
staff) to low risk duties; promote annual influenza vaccination; and develop
a plan to rapidly administer vaccine and antivirals should they become available.
The provision of mental health/psycho-social support to workers is especially important
during a pandemic. Healthcare workers will be under constant stress due to their
increased risk of contracting influenza, the likely inordinate increase in the number of
patient deaths, and the possible alteration of standards of patient care necessitated by the
pandemic. In addition, staff may experience the stress of ill persons at home or recent
death of a family member and/ or friend. The necessity of working while wearing PPE
and the possibility of quarantine also can take a toll.
Healthcare facilities must ensure that plans are made to meet workers' physical needs at
work (e.g., food and housing, rest and recuperation including breaks from PPE and
patient care) and provide emotional support and counseling.
Hospitals should have a system in place for documenting influenza vaccination of
healthcare personnel.
D. Use and Administration of Vaccines and Antiviral Drugs
Pandemic influenza vaccine and “pre-pandemic” influenza vaccine
Once the characteristics of a new pandemic influenza virus are identified, the
development of a pandemic vaccine will begin. Recognizing that there may be benefits to
immunization with a vaccine prepared before the pandemic against an influenza virus of
the same subtype, efforts are underway to stockpile vaccines for subtypes with pandemic
potential. As supplies of these vaccines become available, it is possible that some
healthcare personnel and other persons critical to a pandemic response will be
recommended for vaccination to provide partial protection or immunological priming for
a pandemic strain. Hospitals should review the Hospital Point of Dispensing (HPOD)
Annex to their Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The plan includes the
method of distribution of vaccine and antivirals to staff and families.
Interim recommendations on priority groups for vaccination and strategies for vaccine
distribution are discussed in HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan Supplement 6. During a
pandemic, these recommendations will be updated, taking into account populations which
are most at risk. In the interim, healthcare facilities should:
• Monitor updated HHS (and NYSDOH) information and recommendations on the
development, distribution, and use of a pandemic influenza vaccine
(http://www.pandemicflu.gov)
• Work with local and state health departments on plans for distributing pandemic
influenza vaccine.
February 7, 2006 3-8