District Officials Participate In State Discussion On H1N1

By Eliza Hallabeck

District officials joined in a meeting held at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven on Wednesday, July 22, to discuss preemptive measures and reactive methods to a possible resurgence this fall of the H1N1 virus, which caused Reed Intermediate School to close for three days before school let out for the summer.

Health District Director Donna Culbert, Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda, district head nurse Dee Cupole, and medical adviser and Associate Health District Director Thomas Draper, MD, joined school and medical officials from around the state for the meeting.

“It was interesting,” said Ms Culbert.

Ms Culbert said there are big plans for vaccinations in the fall, and the plans depend on when vaccinations, now being worked on, will arrive in the state. Roughly 480,000 to 1.8 million doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive in the state in October. Between 40 million and 160 million doses are expected to arrive in the country for distribution.

Roughly 3.5 million people live in Connecticut, and the doses will be distributed across the state. Enrollment for the Newtown School District for the 2009-10 school year is estimated to be just over 5,500.

Ms Culbert said a lot of information will unfold in the next couple of weeks, and as she learns further about the situation she will be sharing what she knows with the public through different media, including The Bee.

“Here in Newtown we are probably a little ahead of other communities,” Ms Culbert said. After hearing presenters speak at SCSU, she said she realized other towns have yet to have their school systems responding to the H1N1 virus. In comparison, she said, the Newtown school district has already been working with the health district in regard to the potential outbreak.

Superintendent Robinson and Ms Culbert both agreed with the two main points that came out of the meeting in New Haven: sick children should stay home and well children belong in school.

“We do have some children and staff as well in the school system that are particularly vulnerable to the flu,” Ms Culbert said. For these students and staff members it is important that they work with the school system to make them knowledgeable. It is also important for students with parents or family members who could be more vulnerable to the flu to notify the school.

 Ms Culbert also said, by email, that Newtown Health District has been actively involved over the last few years in planning efforts for response to public health emergencies, like the projected H1N1 resurgence, and will continue to work with the Visiting Nurses Associations, schools, and local physicians to distribute the yearly influenza vaccine. No vaccinations will be enforced, and, as with the annual influenza vaccination, individuals can make their own decisions regarding receiving a vaccination.

Just hours after the meeting in New Haven, Dr Robinson said “when” not “if” a resurgence happens was stressed.

Dr Robinson said it is also expected that the vaccinations for the H1N1 virus will reach the district after the seasonal influenza vaccinations occur.

“A lot of questions were raised,” Dr Robinson said on Wednesday, “but there were not a lot of answers today.”

On Thursday, July 30, Ms Culbert participated in a conference call with other health departments in the state for a Connecticut Department of Public Health conference. She said by email Thursday morning, the H1N1 vaccine should become available by mid-October, and the state’s Department of Health has reviewed the H1N1 Vaccination Liability Protections for possible priority groups to receive the H1N1 vaccine. At this time, priority groups include pregnant women, hospital health care workers, caretakers of children less than 6 months of age, emergency medical responders, people with high risk conditions, and children.

“This is a moving target at the moment,” said Ms Culbert, “and decisions will depend on availability and allocation of the vaccine.”

As information continues to develop, Ms Culbert said she will continue to share information with the public.