In Case of Emergency, Read This Blog

In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness

“Stop, Wash and Go” — CDC Launches Campaign To Encourage ‘Healthy Travels’ For The Holidays During H1N1 Outbreak

November 19th, 2009 · No Comments

Using themes including “Stop, Wash and Go” and “Prevention can be Travel-Sized,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today launched a public awareness campaign about staying healthy while traveling on the holidays during the H1N1 outbreak.

According to campaign press release:
 “The holidays are one of the busiest travel times of the year,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

Walking (& Communicating) The Fine Line With The Public On H1N1

August 10th, 2009 · No Comments

In today’s Washington Post, there’s a good front page piece, “Northern Hemisphere Braces As Swine Flu Heads North”, which looks at the government’s efforts to plan and prepare for the possible return of the H1N1 flu in the Fall. In fact, H1n1 is on the agenda for President Obama’s meetings with the leaders of Canada and [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

CDC To Hold 10 “Public Engagement” Forums To Solicit Citizen Guidance On H1N1 Vaccinations

August 2nd, 2009 · 2 Comments

CIDRAP News reports that the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) will be holding public forums throughout the nation this month to get citizen feedback on how to implement this Fall’s H1N1 flu vaccinations. According to the article:
The CDC will hold 10 “public engagement” meetings around the country to get the citizenry’s advice on whether the [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

Give Tamiflu Prophylactically Or Not? When Personal & National Preparedness Can Conflict

July 26th, 2009 · 1 Comment

A New York Times article Saturday, “Cut Back on Tamiflu, U.S. Official Says”, by Donald G. McNeil, Jr. reports that the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) is asking kids’ summer camps to stop distributing Tamiflu prophylactically, because the agency worries that “giving the drug to healthy people wastes the world’s limited supplies of Tamiflu and [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

H1N1 Flu Response Shows Government Needs To Improve Social Media Public Communications For Future Emergencies

May 4th, 2009 · 7 Comments

In his weekly radio/video address, President Obama addressed the government’s response to the H1N1 flu outbreak. One new topic he raised was the role of social media in communicating with the citizenry. As the President said: “The White House has launched pages on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to support the ongoing efforts by the CDC [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0

NYC CERT Members Asked To Spread Info To Public To Stop Spread Of H1N1 Flu; Mayor Bloomberg Says New Yorkers “Tend To Get On With It” In Dealing With Outbreak

May 1st, 2009 · No Comments

I received an email today from New York City’s Office of Emergency Management asking CERT members, like myself, to “spread the word to your fellow New Yorkers on how to avoid spreading the flu.” So, I am posting the email below. (Several hours earlier, I had watched with some amusement Mayor Bloomberg explain at news [...]

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Tags: CERT

CDC Public Webcast Shows Americans Are Curious Why More Isn’t Always More In Dealing With H1N1 — And Government Officials Should Address Reasons For Not Doing Everything Now

April 30th, 2009 · No Comments

Earlier this afternoon, there was a special Centers For Disease Control/Health and Human Services Department webcast for the public on the H1N1 outbreak featuring CDC Acting Director Richard Besser, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (in her first 24 hours on the job) and DHS Secretary Napolitano. It was an interesting event because most of the hour-long [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

Officials Highlight Public’s “Responsibility” & “Role” In Nation’s Response To Swine Flu Situation

April 26th, 2009 · No Comments

At a White House press conference Sunday, Presidential Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan, Centers for Disease Control Acting Director Richard Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stressed the responsibility of citizens to help prepare for and deal with the ongoing Swine Flu situation. During the briefing, the officials explained the government’s response thus far and [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

For Latest News & Advice On Swine Flu Situation

April 25th, 2009 · No Comments

To get the latest news as well as advice on the ongoing Swine Flu situation, follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control/Emergency Preparedness & Response Twitter feed, CDC Emergency, here or check the CDC’s Swine Flu website here. 

There is also a CDC podcast by Dr. Joe Bresee from the CDC Influenza Division which describes Swine Flu – its [...]

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Tags: Pandemic Flu

Good New CDC Citizen Preparedness Video

May 5th, 2008 · No Comments

I recently viewed a new emergency preparedness video produced by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) for the public called “A New Era of Preparedness”. I think it is one of the better productions on this topic for citizens that I have seen. It can be viewed on the CDC website at emergency.cdc.gov/video/newera.asp.

I liked it [...]

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Tags: Preparedness 2.0