| Some of the American medical establishment feels the pandemic designation is unwarranted.
But, the World Health Organization (WHO) has made the decision. Thus far, the H1N1 Swine
Flu pandemic has provided a mild form of influenza. However, there is concern the northern
hemisphere Autumn flu season will provide the challenge of a flu that has gone through some
changes as it goes through the spread of H1N1 in the countries of the southern hemisphere. It is
currently the southern hemisphere's flu season.
The few months between now and the flu season in the northern hemisphere should be a time for
planning and preparation. The CDC is urging that ALL get the flu shot this fall. It notes
influenza is serious. Get the Flu Shot. In support of that recommendation, CDC notes:
1. On average, more than 226,000 Americans are hospitalized for flu annually.
2. On average, about 36,000 die from influenza-related complications each year.
3. Between 15 and 60 million Americans suffer from influenza in an average year.
4. Over the past three influenza seasons, an average of approximately 60 children have died
from the disease.
5. Approximately 20,000 children younger than 5 years of age are hospitalized each year
because of the flu and its complications.
6. Complications from influenza most often occur among people over 65 years of age.
Now is the time to meet with health department and medical organizations in the community to
learn the plans for administering flu shots and opening date for administration of the flu vaccine.
It would be advisable to have the flu shots provided to your food handlers and all guest and
public contact employees. One of the items on your medical community sessions agenda will be
whether there will be sufficient vaccine available in your community to require flu shots for a
large number of your employees. If not, there will be the necessity for rationing shots by nature
of contact with guests and the public and the age and general health of the employee. (Make that
a medical decision. Don't you make that determination. "That could really open a can of
worms.")
A recent question posed for members of the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Loss
Prevention Committee related to appropriate action if a guest was stricken with the flu and was
confined to the guest room. Under current conditions, such a guest would be transferred to a
hospital and the room would be sanitized and returned to inventory. For discussion in your
medical sessions: what happens if the pandemic is pervasive in your community and there is no
medical facility available to which the stricken guest can be moved.
For lodging industry specific data go to:
http://www.ahla.com/uploadedFiles/AHLA/information_center/emergency_planning_and_preparedness/ful
plan.pdf
There is additional data on pandemic information on the AH&LA web page:
http://www.ahla.com/content.aspx?id=20308&terms=flu |
Article
It's Officially a Pandemic