New Diocesan Policy and Resources.
POLICY: Planning for Pandemic Influenza (and other Influenza
Outbreaks) - revised 9-8-09
Modification to Flu Policy-N95 Respirators (10/15/09) (en
Español)
[click
here for instructions on the proper use of N95 Respirators]
What's new? Please see
below...
Current Alert Status:
DIOCESAN POLICY:
Immediate Preparation
WHO:
Post-Pandemic Phase
(Click
here for explanation of WHO Phases)
Diocesan Resources:
Parish Brochure
A summary of our diocesan flu policy; perfect
for copying and distributing to parishioners. (en
Español)
Resources in Spanish (Recursos en Español)
Appendices G-K of our flu policy translated
into Spanish (in MS Word). See also the
"Tome 3" brochure from the CDC.
Resources in Vietnamese (pending)
Appendices G-K of our flu policy translated
into Vietnamese.
Parish Prayer Booklet (pending)
A prayer booklet for parishioners to use at
home if they are ill or if parishes are not allowed or able to
celebrate Mass.
Diocesan Entity Report Form (MS
Word version)
Appendix E from the policy; the report form
that parishes and other entities are to use to keep in touch with
the chancery during an influenza emergency.
NEWS...
08/10/10 -
H1N1 Pandemic Over
The WHO has announced that the pandemic
of Influenza A/H1N1(2009) is now over since worldwide flu
activity has returned to usual seasonal patterns and many
people now have immunity to H1N1. The virus is not gone,
however. WHO warns that H1N1 will continue to circulate as a
seasonal flu virus for years to come (and therefore be
included as part of the seasonal flu vaccine). For more
information, please see the
WHO website.
08/02/10 -
2010-11 Flu Vaccine Approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
announced today that it has approved vaccines for the
2010-2011 influenza season in the United States.
Seasonal influenza vaccine protects against three strains of
influenza, including the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, which
caused the 2009 pandemic. Last year because the 2009 H1N1
virus emerged after production began on the seasonal
vaccine, two separate vaccines were needed to protect
against seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu virus,
but this year, only one vaccine is necessary. Vaccines for
the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza contain the following
strains:
-A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus (pandemic (H1N1) 2009
influenza virus)
-A/Perth /16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus
-B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus
Please note that the CDC has published
new recommendations for annual influenza vaccination to
include all people aged 6 months and older. The expanded
recommendation is to take effect in the 2010-2011 influenza
season.
Given that this begins our government's
preparations for the upcoming flu season, this is a good
time to begin looking ahead ourselves. Therefore, we are
moving from "remote" to "immediate" preparation in our flu
policy.
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