4500 Peopl​e Took Pande​mic Flu Mist Delivery Vaccine​ In One Count​y That Causes Pandemic Flu

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

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Flu drill deemed a success
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By MANASEE WAGH
Bucks County Courier Times

http://www. phillyburbs. com/pb-dyn/news/111-10192008-1607697. html

More than 4,500 people received free flu shots Saturday at Bucks County's third annual Pandemic Flu Drill

As people arrived in a steady stream at Lower Makefield's William Penn Middle School, one of five inoculation sites across the county, they filled out a brief form to check their eligibility for a shot

Within minutes, one of several volunteer nurses or doctors called them to sit down in the gymnasium.
Seconds later, it was all over and they were walking out the door

“It was pretty quick and painless,” said 13-year-old Craig Diehl of Newtown, who was there with his two brothers and his mother, Fran Diehl

She was happy the shots were free and was pleased with the experience

“It's so very well run. I expected to come here and see a mob scene.
We were in and out in five minutes,” Fran said

The drill simulated a medical emergency in which many thousands of people would need to be inoculated within 48 hours, said Wayne Aaronson of the county health department.
He was the Lower Makefield site manager for the four-hour drill

Every procedure that staff and volunteers followed was practice for a major epidemic

For example, police guarded the supplies of vaccine

Every hour, the sites reported their status to the county's Emergency Operations Center in Ivyland, which acted as a coordinating and troubleshooting link

Information reported to the center included how much vaccine was left and whether or not everything was going smoothly.
In an emergency situation, even incidences of alarming rumors would be reported

Flu shots are merely an annual precaution, so people were calm, but what would site personnel have to deal with in case of a real epidemic?

“You'd have people distraught and disgruntled, people with high anxiety and rumors flying,” said Barbara Williams, the medical lead at the Lower Makefield site

Volunteers and health department staff are trained to keep people calm and organized in that type of situation and to keep themselves calm as well, she said

In case of a pandemic, the center would be only one of at least 30 around the county providing shots, said Aaronson

On Saturday, his site included 17 medical personnel, amateur radio operators for communications emergencies, local police and rescue squads and about 50 other volunteers who kept the flow of people moving

The vast majority of those operating the site were community volunteers

They took care of about 500 people in the first two hours and were prepared for 700 more, said Aaronson

People came to take advantage of a free flu shot, but they also learned what to do in a real situation

“For some people, it's stressful enough [to get a shot]. They have a very smooth process here.
It's very well organized,” said Roman Fedorak of Yardley

The exercise was a success because of the dozens of volunteers at each site, said Williams

At Bristol Township's inoculation site, people waited in a long line of cars that extended into the Lafayette Elementary School driveway.
They pulled up to the Bucks County Rescue Squad and simply opened their car doors so nurses could administer their shots

The site was one of two drive-in locations testing a different way to rapidly inoculate the public

“There's an easy flow of traffic. This way, you have more control over the situation. There are no people just walking around.
Also, some people have difficulty walking, so this is good for them,” said site manager Barbara Schellhorn of the county health department

The site's roughly 70 volunteers and paid staff saw about 900 patients in three hours, said Chris Edwards, the deputy director of the Commissioner's Office of Public Information

“We loved the drive-through.
It was convenient,” said Steve Babst, driving out with his wife, Joann

Every year, the county holds flu drills that inoculate municipalities not covered in previous drills

This year people also received shots at Holicong Middle School in Buckingham, Quakertown Freshman Center and Ottsville Fire House in Tinicum

This season holds no shortage of flu shots, unlike some recent years during which doctors gave preference to children, the elderly and people at risk.
It's because of more vaccine manufacturers this year, said Williams

Last year, similar numbers of people received free flu shots at the countywide drill

Manasee Wagh can be reached at 215-949-4206 or [e-mail]