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[Here is the link to the Town Website: http://www.ci.amesbury.ma.us/
Here is the link to the survey: http://mygovhelp.org/AMESBURYMA/take...sp?surveyID=5]
Published: September 23, 2009 03:53 am
AMESBURY ? Amesbury officials want residents to help the town ready itself for the coming flu season and are asking for feedback on the town's Web site to help ensure Amesbury's supply of vaccine is adequate to meet this year's increased demand.
With information changing almost daily on when the H1N1 flu vaccine will be ready and distributed to the population, Amesbury and other communities are struggling to keep up with the latest public health directives being released from the state. By answering a one-question online survey on where they plan to get their flu shot, residents can help the town cut through the confusion and let health nurse Melinda Gibbons know what the needs are in Amesbury, mayor's Chief of Staff Kendra Amaral said.
"We started a survey in the schools, among employees and on the town Web site to find out how people are planning to get their flu vaccine so we can plan for the clinics we need," Amaral said.
What Gibbons needs to know is whether residents are planning to get their flu vaccine from a primary doctor, a pharmacist or through a town-run flu clinic. Residents can affirm through that survey question whether they have already received their seasonal flu shot as well, or whether they plan to forgo inoculation.
Per the recommendation of the state Department of Public Health, Amesbury began offering early flu vaccinations yesterday for at-risk members of the population.
"Today they did Heritage Towers, which has a high concentration of key 'at risk' people," Amaral said. "They're going to be doing Powow Villas next week."
Amaral said the town is also planning on administering vaccine to "shut-ins," or those members of the population who can't easily leave the house to seek out care. Officials will use lists developed in the past couple of years for pandemic planning to determine how many residents would qualify for house calls, and they will be taking calls in the coming weeks from residents who feel they meet that criteria.
"We know who has mobility challenges," Amaral said. "We're using our plans that have been developed over the past couple years to respond to this."
The seasonal flu clinics should not be confused with clinics that will vaccinate for the H1N1 flu, Amaral said. That vaccination is not ready though the town has been administering early seasonal vaccine in advance of H1N1's anticipated October release.
There is no H1N1 vaccination currently available, but we have developed our plans for when H1N1 is available and what we're going to be doing to implement that," Amaral said. "We were told at the end of summer to be ready and do our seasonal flu vaccine in the fall, and then the state sent about 50 percent of it, but told us to hold off until November. It's very fluid. As soon as we have the vaccine and the supplies in hand we're ready to implement our plans."
Amaral said the town will be offering a seasonal flu clinic to the general public when the state releases the remaining 50 percent of Amesbury's allotted vaccines. Since the state recently authorized medics, pharmacists and dentists to administer vaccines to the public, Amesbury Emergency Medical Services coordinator Dave Mathers has been playing a key role in organizing the town's health response. At a time when the message from state and federal health agencies is changing frequently, he and Gibbons are trying to streamline the process for residents.
"The challenge is the information is changing," Amaral said. "We're trying to do our best to keep it clear and give the residents what we can without contributing to the confusion by putting out information that then changes."
Here is the link to the survey: http://mygovhelp.org/AMESBURYMA/take...sp?surveyID=5]
Published: September 23, 2009 03:53 am
AMESBURY ? Amesbury officials want residents to help the town ready itself for the coming flu season and are asking for feedback on the town's Web site to help ensure Amesbury's supply of vaccine is adequate to meet this year's increased demand.
With information changing almost daily on when the H1N1 flu vaccine will be ready and distributed to the population, Amesbury and other communities are struggling to keep up with the latest public health directives being released from the state. By answering a one-question online survey on where they plan to get their flu shot, residents can help the town cut through the confusion and let health nurse Melinda Gibbons know what the needs are in Amesbury, mayor's Chief of Staff Kendra Amaral said.
"We started a survey in the schools, among employees and on the town Web site to find out how people are planning to get their flu vaccine so we can plan for the clinics we need," Amaral said.
What Gibbons needs to know is whether residents are planning to get their flu vaccine from a primary doctor, a pharmacist or through a town-run flu clinic. Residents can affirm through that survey question whether they have already received their seasonal flu shot as well, or whether they plan to forgo inoculation.
Per the recommendation of the state Department of Public Health, Amesbury began offering early flu vaccinations yesterday for at-risk members of the population.
"Today they did Heritage Towers, which has a high concentration of key 'at risk' people," Amaral said. "They're going to be doing Powow Villas next week."
Amaral said the town is also planning on administering vaccine to "shut-ins," or those members of the population who can't easily leave the house to seek out care. Officials will use lists developed in the past couple of years for pandemic planning to determine how many residents would qualify for house calls, and they will be taking calls in the coming weeks from residents who feel they meet that criteria.
"We know who has mobility challenges," Amaral said. "We're using our plans that have been developed over the past couple years to respond to this."
The seasonal flu clinics should not be confused with clinics that will vaccinate for the H1N1 flu, Amaral said. That vaccination is not ready though the town has been administering early seasonal vaccine in advance of H1N1's anticipated October release.
There is no H1N1 vaccination currently available, but we have developed our plans for when H1N1 is available and what we're going to be doing to implement that," Amaral said. "We were told at the end of summer to be ready and do our seasonal flu vaccine in the fall, and then the state sent about 50 percent of it, but told us to hold off until November. It's very fluid. As soon as we have the vaccine and the supplies in hand we're ready to implement our plans."
Amaral said the town will be offering a seasonal flu clinic to the general public when the state releases the remaining 50 percent of Amesbury's allotted vaccines. Since the state recently authorized medics, pharmacists and dentists to administer vaccines to the public, Amesbury Emergency Medical Services coordinator Dave Mathers has been playing a key role in organizing the town's health response. At a time when the message from state and federal health agencies is changing frequently, he and Gibbons are trying to streamline the process for residents.
"The challenge is the information is changing," Amaral said. "We're trying to do our best to keep it clear and give the residents what we can without contributing to the confusion by putting out information that then changes."
