H1N1 Flu (Swine flu)
Many of us remember the intensive work done in 2007 & 2008 on the Report for the Task Force on People Needing Additional Assistance in time of an Emergency. The report was completed in September 2008 and has languished in obscurity ostensibly waiting for an opportunity to get an audience with Governor Deval Patrick. In the meantime, H1N1 flu has emerged as a pandemic threat that needs to be prepared for.
The Disability Policy Consortium raised the issue with Governor Patrick in May of this year. We posed the same question we had raise in 2006:
The question as posed in 2006 was:
When a pandemic occurs, social distancing will be a primary tool for slowing contagion. Public transportation may be restricted and travel bans may be enforced by public authorities.
What provisions is the State considering to insure that personal care attendants are provided the same identification and travel rights that other vital health care workers will get?
And we added the following from the Task Force Report:
Recognize the large essential worker base that exists to support elders and individuals with disabilities in their own homes and communities. Create methods to ensure essential personnel (e.g. Personal Care Attendants (PCAs), home health providers, transportation providers, and meal providers) have access to roads and other restricted areas, if such access is required for individual support and safety. (P.9.)
The DPC had conversations with Administration officials in response to the letter starting in June and continuing through August. Officials acknowledged the importance of the issue and promised discussions with leaders of the disability community. We have not seen any specific information on these or other issues related to people with disabilities and H1N1. (Yes, we know that the flue so far is hitting youth and pregnant women harder than any others).
The Statewide Independent Living Council's Annual Conference will open at 9:30 AM on September 15, 2009 with a plenary session on Emergency Preparedness and H1N1 Flu. Planners anticipate the Commonwealth's response to the issues the DPC raised in its letter to the Governor. In addition, there is an expectation that a more complete report on next steps for the Task force report will also be made. Don Boyce, Director of MEMA, Dr. John Auerbach, DPH Commissioner, Myra Berloff, MOD Director, and Ron Marlowe, Assistant Secretary of A & F have confirmed their attendance.
If you'd like to attend this session, the conference is being at the Best Western Royal Plaza in Marlborough. Please call Steve Higgins at 508 620-7452 or email him at steveh@masilc.org. Please note that conference registration is closed but people are invited to this informative presentation.
H1N1 Resources:
Two basic H1N1 Power Point presentations are now available on the DPC web site along with a Fact Sheet. One Power Point is from the Centers for Disease control. The other two documents are provided by a company known as ToucanEd.
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