May 24--KENNEWICK -- Benton-Franklin Health District officials said this month's swine flu scare was a good lesson in emergency preparedness.
The outbreak of H1N1 flu was the first major event the health district, which serves as the emergency command center for the region, responded to since public health agencies took charge of emergency preparedness after Sept. 11, 2001.
"It was a good test and I think it's going to prepare us for future events whether it's West Nile (virus) or swine flu," said Dr. Larry Jecha, the district's health officer. "I think it was amazing the response and the partnerships we had with the schools and the pharmacies and the hospitals."
What normally looks like an ordinary boardroom at the district's Kennewick office was transformed into a command center as soon as cases started being reported across the country.
For nearly two weeks earlier this month, each seat around the boardroom table was equipped with a computer and multi-line telephones. A large screen projected CNN news all day.
"It looked like a military command post or a NASA landing," said Brooke DuBois, executive director of the Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance, who has an office in the health district building.
The health district does emergency response training periodically, but officials said going through a real event pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of our area's preparedness system.
"We've been preparing for over four years and a lot of that did pay off," said Annie Goodwin, the district's preventive health services supervisor. "I don't think any of our preparedness efforts weren't used."
Goodwin said one example of the difference between exercises and an actual event is the level of communication. During drills, one person is in charge of communication, while the real event required almost five people to talk with media, health care providers, schools and more.
The district also found the need to establish a flu hotline, update its website frequently and use the social networking website Twitter to send out updates.
"It was amazing how I think a lot of light bulbs went off in people's minds," Jecha said. "It has been a good wake-up call. I think people could see in an emergency system you need to do advance planning."
Though the severity of the flu was less extreme than originally thought -- those who catch H1N1 experience seasonal flu symptoms -- the health district continues to be on the alert for any confirmed cases in Benton and Franklin counties and any mutations in the flu strain.
The state's confirmed H1N1 cases continue to rise daily, with more than 500 confirmed cases in 15 counties so far, but health officials expect rates to slow during the summer months when people generally aren't in close quarters.
Jecha said a good test for what North America could see next winter is watching what happens with flu in Australia and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, where winter is approaching.
"The next wave will probably hit next year," he said.
A vaccine against the strain is being developed, but because people don't have immunity, the vaccine will probably come in two doses. That means some people could need three flu shots come fall -- two for H1N1 and one for seasonal flu.
The positive side of the recent outbreak is people are more aware of disease-prevention strategies, Jecha said.
"I think people for once are a little more cognizant of washing your hands and staying away from people -- the mantra we've been preaching," he said. "I've seen more people on a handwashing kick. If nothing else, we're going to prevent a lot of disease just from that.
"There's a lot of good coming out of this thing."
-----
To see more of the Tri-City Herald, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tri-cityherald.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, Tri-City Herald, Kennewick, Wash.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
NYSE:TWX,