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Source: http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/2...EWS01/81105015
Louisiana prepares for a pandemic flu outbreak; summit Thursday, Nov. 6
November 5, 2008
BATON ROUGE - The state?s health care experts and medical professionals are preparing for a pandemic flu outbreak.
Thursday the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and Office of Public Health (DHH-OPH) will host a pandemic flu summit at the Gillis Long Center in Carville.
DHH-OPH officials will teach the state?s health care providers and emergency personnel about the virus and how to prepare their agency or facility for this threat. Because a pandemic flu will affect the entire country, Louisiana cannot count on getting assistance from other states or the federal government.
?This is a very real threat,? said DHH State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry. ?It?s not a matter of ?if? a pandemic flu will strike, but a matter of ?when.? That?s why it?s imperative we meet and plan with the people who will be on the front lines when this virus emerges.?
The state is also offering new training opportunities for health care professionals by offering a free Web-based pandemic flu course. The course will help provide doctors, nurses and allied health professionals the most up-to-date information on pan flu preparedness. The course was developed through a partnership between Louisiana and the University of North Carolina. Those taking the course can obtain medical professional credits. The course is online at http://nccphp.sph.unc.edu/training/H...ertificate.php
?The fact that a pandemic stems from a new virus is what makes it such a threat,? explained Dr. Guidry ?A vaccine would not be able to be developed for several months, and even when it is, it would not be available in mass quantities.?
Louisiana prepares for a pandemic flu outbreak; summit Thursday, Nov. 6
November 5, 2008
BATON ROUGE - The state?s health care experts and medical professionals are preparing for a pandemic flu outbreak.
Thursday the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and Office of Public Health (DHH-OPH) will host a pandemic flu summit at the Gillis Long Center in Carville.
DHH-OPH officials will teach the state?s health care providers and emergency personnel about the virus and how to prepare their agency or facility for this threat. Because a pandemic flu will affect the entire country, Louisiana cannot count on getting assistance from other states or the federal government.
?This is a very real threat,? said DHH State Health Officer Dr. Jimmy Guidry. ?It?s not a matter of ?if? a pandemic flu will strike, but a matter of ?when.? That?s why it?s imperative we meet and plan with the people who will be on the front lines when this virus emerges.?
The state is also offering new training opportunities for health care professionals by offering a free Web-based pandemic flu course. The course will help provide doctors, nurses and allied health professionals the most up-to-date information on pan flu preparedness. The course was developed through a partnership between Louisiana and the University of North Carolina. Those taking the course can obtain medical professional credits. The course is online at http://nccphp.sph.unc.edu/training/H...ertificate.php
?The fact that a pandemic stems from a new virus is what makes it such a threat,? explained Dr. Guidry ?A vaccine would not be able to be developed for several months, and even when it is, it would not be available in mass quantities.?