Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_114153455.html
Published: April 23, 2008 03:34 pm
How much antiviral medication is enough?
Sarah Moses
Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND - Rodney Glotfelty, director of the Garrett County Health Department, explained pros and cons of purchasing additional antiviral medication in case of a pandemic flu outbreak to the county commissioners.
"There are 7,500 (treatments) already available to us," Glotfelty said at the Tuesday commission meeting. "We're going to need antivirals for every employee and family member. How we will cover volunteer firefighters, I don't know. I'm pushing them to let us include them. ... I don't want to have a stockpile of medication just for local health and none for our first responders."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide enough antiviral medication for 25 percent of the population. However, this may not cover essential county staff and possibly not volunteer first responders in a case of pandemic flu, Glotfelty said.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is making the additional medication available for the county to purchase.
In the event of a virus like the avian flu becoming transmittable by humans and spreading rapidly across a region or the country as a whole, medication would be used as a way to speed recovery or prevent catching the virus after coming in contact with it.
However, to ensure greater coverage, Glotfelty said the state is allowing local government to purchase it at the price offered to the state. He added that the state would likely have purchased some of the antiviral medication for the local governments had it not been for the current budget issue.
Commissioner Fred Holliday commented that the county's budget for next year will be limited as well.
Part of the legal contract would require the county to acknowledge that the state could take the antiviral medication from the county in a time of crisis elsewhere in the state, Glotfelty said.
"Why buy it?" Denny Glotfelty, commission chairman, asked. "We're buying it to protect the people, and they could take it.'
Rodney Glotfelty said that he felt it would not likely happen, particularly as Garrett County would have a small amount in comparison to other counties. He said that he felt the county would "fall under the radar."
The shelf life, Rodney Glotfelty added, is seven years, and to have it on stock would serve as an insurance policy. He said it was possible the county would never need the medication, just as some do not use their car insurance.
Denny Glotfelty said that he felt the commissioners should discuss this before making a decision, not only on whether to purchase the medication, but if the purchase is made, who would be considered essential employees to keep the county infrastructure operating.
Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.
Published: April 23, 2008 03:34 pm
How much antiviral medication is enough?
Sarah Moses
Cumberland Times-News
OAKLAND - Rodney Glotfelty, director of the Garrett County Health Department, explained pros and cons of purchasing additional antiviral medication in case of a pandemic flu outbreak to the county commissioners.
"There are 7,500 (treatments) already available to us," Glotfelty said at the Tuesday commission meeting. "We're going to need antivirals for every employee and family member. How we will cover volunteer firefighters, I don't know. I'm pushing them to let us include them. ... I don't want to have a stockpile of medication just for local health and none for our first responders."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will provide enough antiviral medication for 25 percent of the population. However, this may not cover essential county staff and possibly not volunteer first responders in a case of pandemic flu, Glotfelty said.
The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is making the additional medication available for the county to purchase.
In the event of a virus like the avian flu becoming transmittable by humans and spreading rapidly across a region or the country as a whole, medication would be used as a way to speed recovery or prevent catching the virus after coming in contact with it.
However, to ensure greater coverage, Glotfelty said the state is allowing local government to purchase it at the price offered to the state. He added that the state would likely have purchased some of the antiviral medication for the local governments had it not been for the current budget issue.
Commissioner Fred Holliday commented that the county's budget for next year will be limited as well.
Part of the legal contract would require the county to acknowledge that the state could take the antiviral medication from the county in a time of crisis elsewhere in the state, Glotfelty said.
"Why buy it?" Denny Glotfelty, commission chairman, asked. "We're buying it to protect the people, and they could take it.'
Rodney Glotfelty said that he felt it would not likely happen, particularly as Garrett County would have a small amount in comparison to other counties. He said that he felt the county would "fall under the radar."
The shelf life, Rodney Glotfelty added, is seven years, and to have it on stock would serve as an insurance policy. He said it was possible the county would never need the medication, just as some do not use their car insurance.
Denny Glotfelty said that he felt the commissioners should discuss this before making a decision, not only on whether to purchase the medication, but if the purchase is made, who would be considered essential employees to keep the county infrastructure operating.
Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.