The City is currently working to create hospital space for a possible influx of swine flu patients, and to establish contingency plans in the event of a larger than expected outbreak of swine flu next season.
“The City has already taken some good first steps, but more can be done,” said Councilman Gioia. “Swine flu took the world by surprise when it first hit last spring, and many families and communities taken up in its wake didn’t feel they had timely information to keep themselves safe and healthy. Now that we know it’s coming, with time to plan and prepare, we can’t let that happen again. I’m looking forward to working with the Department of Health and the Department of Education to make sure our kids are safe and healthy,” he continued.
To further strengthen New York City’s response to a potential swine flu epidemic, Councilman Gioia has proposed implementation of the following measures:
• Developing a Coordinated Early Warning System to promptly notify teachers, parents and the Department of Health when students or school staff test positive for swine flu.
• Establishing a reserve of nurses that would be available to aid schools in the event of a flu outbreak.
• Creating a Vaccine Disbursement schedule to ensure that most vulnerable populations receive priority treatment should swine flu vaccine become available.
• Specifying a School Closure Policy to set threshold parameters that would prompt school closure.
• Implementing a TV and radio Public Awareness Campaign to provide regular updates regarding City’s efforts to control potential swine flu outbreaks.
According to published reports, as of July in New York City, there were 909 hospitalizations and 47 deaths recorded due to swine flu. The CDC estimated that there could have been 500,000 New Yorkers who were infected with swine flu at some point.
Across the City, 44,678 New Yorkers have complained of having flu-like symptoms, including one day in May when 2,500 people visited emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms. Fifty-seven (57) New York City schools and programs were closed due to the swine flu outbreak, including 29 in the borough of Queens, in the 2008-2009 school year.
The CDC predicts that that 40 percent of Americans may become infected with swine flu over the next two years, echoing previous statements from the World Health Organization that swine flu may become a world-wide pandemic.
