North Olympic Peninsula health officials are stepping up efforts to prevent flu outbreaks this fall and winter in schools, and keep local business employees healthy, as part of a regional plan developed this summer.
Health officials in both counties are addressing school officials and business leaders in Peninsula communities as part of a newly-developed coordinated regional plan, which also involves Kitsap County, said Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for both Clallam and Jefferson counties.
“This time around, our goal is to keep schools open,” Locke said public school officials were told.
“We have a strong reason to keep schools open to increase the workforce capacity” when parents don’t have to remain home with sick children, he said.
‘Biggest challenge’
With more flu strains becoming active — such as the swine flu — health officials decided to start prevention measures early because of concerns that the flu season could take a serious toll, he added.
“This is probably going to be our biggest challenge with this, is to keep enough people healthy and at work so we can maintain all the essential services,” Locke said.
“If everyone gets sick at the same time, that’s a serious problem, even if they recover uneventfully.”
Two cases of swine flu were diagnosed in the Peninsula in May. A Sequim woman was the first to be diagnosed in Clallam County. Just like the Port Townsend woman who was diagnosed a week earlier, she recovered without hospitalization, Locke said.
Health officials are promoting flu prevention through vaccinations, and are asking that schoolchildren, employees and employers stay home when ill.
Locke even urges those with family members sick with the flu — any kind of flu — to stay at home.
“It can spread two or three days before you actually get it,” Locke said.
Clallam County public health officials are expecting more than double the 13,000 doses planned for Jefferson County, he said, adding that he was skeptical that the vaccine would arrive as soon as it is wanted.
The vaccine is expected to trickle in, arriving before mid-October and vaccination clinics will gradually start in September, with clinics scheduling dates.
The nation won’t have nearly as much vaccine for the swine flu — or H1N1 virus as it is clinically called — ready by mid-October as has been predicted, federal officials said Monday.
To fight the flu threat, Locke said a medical reserve corps — mostly of retired health-care professionals — has been created as part of Clallam County’s emergency preparedness system, with all members trained as emergency responders.
Corps members are talking to Port Angeles and Sequim business owners, promoting the planning effort with kits to help prevent and reduce workforce illness.
Planning for swine flu is also taking place with school officials in both counties, he said.
Jean Baldwin, Jefferson County Public Health director said the county is working with Jefferson Healthcare hospital in Port Townsend to conduct mass vaccine clinics.
Locke said the same was planned in conjunction with OlympicMedical Center hospital in Port Angeles and Sequim.
First in line for vaccinations are to be pregnant women, those with children six months or younger, and health care workers, followed by younger adults with conditions that make them more susceptible to the flu, such as asthma.
“We are trying to get the seasonal vaccine into people early this year,” said Jefferson County Public Health Nurse Julia Danskin, addressing the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce on Monday.
She urged business owners to eat well, exercise, cover their coughs, even wear surgical face masks if they were comfortable doing so.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
