Bucks County Commissioners Announce Flu Shots Sat., Nov. 18.

Simultaneous Pandemic Flu Drill Allows County to Test Its Response Plan

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. -- As part of efforts to test the county's pandemic flu response plan, the Bucks County commissioners have announced the date of the countywide flu shot/pandemic flu exercise. For the first time, the county will depart from its usual provision and administration of influenza vaccine to hospitals and senior centers, and combine administration of the vaccine with a multi-agency emergency drill, run by the Bucks County Health Department and Bucks County Emergency Management Agency.

The flu shot distribution will be on Saturday, November 18 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Three points of dispensing (PODs) will be established to inoculate residents in as quick and organized manner as possible. A drive-up distribution point will be established at one of the three locations (see below), where the public can simply roll down their window, roll up their sleeve, and receive the vaccine. Residents should go to the POD closest to their home.

                    Upper Bucks region:
                Pennridge Central Middle School
              144 Walnut Street, Perkasie, PA 18944

                    Central Bucks region:
                 Council Rock High School South
               2002 Rock Way, Holland, PA 18966

             Lower Bucks region(drive-in vaccine):
             Lower Bucks Government Service Center
            7321 New Falls Road, Levittown, PA 19055

Not only will this allow emergency medical and emergency response personnel to realistically train for the eventuality, it helps familiarize the public with these procedures, and additionally, provides the season's flu vaccine for those who participate. "Training our emergency responders is critically important. But equally as important is the public knowing how the procedure works, and having confidence that they will be protected," noted Chairman Jim Cawley. "It is all part of our Ready Bucks campaign, an 11-county, three-state effort launched during National Emergency Preparedness Month in September."

John Dougherty, EMA director, points out that the time to assess a plan is not when the actual emergency is occurring. "There are a lot of moving parts - our health department and emergency management agency, local police, the American Red Cross, residents, and the media, who will help get word out to the public. In that respect, a full-scale exercise is the best way to rehearse this scenario, confirm our successes, and allow us to make adjustments where necessary."

Since plans for the exercise were announced in July, the health department has trained over 300 medical and non-medical volunteers to perform tasks such as vaccinating, managing line flow, screening patients, answering questions, helping with forms, and managing supplies.

According to Dr. Eleanor Travers, Health Department director, the county is trying to infuse as much realism as possible. "In a real health emergency, hospitals would be overwhelmed with sick people, so mass vaccinations would need to occur in venues away from hospitals."

A total of about 5,000 doses will be given at the three PODs, a combination of shots and Flu Mist vaccines. The lower end drive-through will only be administering shots. The health department estimates it can accommodate approximately 225 participants per hour, per site.

Included in the drill will be a security component, with the Bucks County Major Incident Response Team (MIRT) participating. MIRT is comprised of 21 participating police departments from throughout Bucks County that can respond during major emergencies. According to Dougherty, the Emergency Operations Center will be activated to coordinate support for the scenario, in accordance with the National Incident Management System, or NIMS, a standardized system under which all levels of government can share procedures and information for successful coordination during emergencies.

All residents nine years or older, who are medically eligible, can participate and receive influenza immunization during this drill. The Bucks County Health Department advises participants to dress in layers so that the upper arm/shoulder area can be easily exposed for the shot.

Those wishing to participate in the drill can visit www.buckscounty.org and look for screening criteria that will be used to determine eligibility for the shot. For example, pregnant women in their first trimester, those allergic to eggs, or those who are moderately or seriously ill will not receive the vaccine. The health department urges anyone uncertain about eligibility to check with their physician.

Administrative note: The Bucks County Emergency Operations Center is located in Ivyland. Members of the press will receive updates throughout the day, and will be notified of any press conferences held in the context of the scenario. The phone number to the public information desk at the EOC will be released prior to the exercise. In addition, a county public information officer will be located at each POD, and will provide media updates about their respective site.