14 DAY TRIAL // The US Department of Health and Human Services recently announced a new set of guidelines that will further clarify how flu drugs will be distributed, and who will benefit from them first, in case of a flu outbreak in the country. Medical personnel and hospital staff will be the first to take the vaccines, as it is their job to stay in contact with sick people virtually 24/7, especially when dealing with the crowded conditions in a hospital overrun by hundreds of patients daily.
In light of the new decision, the hospital management units are now responsible for stockpiling flu and cold medicine, in sufficient amounts to ensure that all personnel and patients have adequate supplies of each drug. Hospitals have to also establish a priority list, determining what people receive the drugs first, and in what order the others will be taking it. The DHHS says that having these procedures sorted out before the outbreak of a serious epidemic or pandemic is crucially important to minimizing the response times that the health system can provide to a large number of sick people at once.
"Planning and preparing for a pandemic influenza requires action by every part of society, including individuals and families, communities, and private sector employers as well as all levels of government. Employers will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety, which in turn reduces the impact of a pandemic on the nation's health, the economy and society,” Dr. Craig Vanderwagen, who is an assistant secretary for preparedness and response with the DHHS, said in a statement.
Health care officials in the United States expect a flue epidemic in the coming years, but no one can say for sure when it will break out. Already, statistics are frightening and show that very few Americans took the flu shot this year. Though it may not seem like much, the injection is one of the few things standing in the way of the nation being swept away by a cold and flu pandemic. And when the “big one” strikes, it will affect millions or tens of millions, not just isolated cases.