Agenda - 12-05-2005-6c - Laserfiche WebLink

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DRAFT Influenza Vaccine Supply Resolution Orange County Board of Health Orange County Board of County Commissioners Orange County, North Carolina Whereas, each year, a substantial proportion ofvaccine-preventable diseases occur among adults, despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines; and Whereas, adult immunization levels continue to lag far behind childhood rates, and adult morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases remain distressingly high; and Whereas, adults form the core infrastructure needed to respond to any emergent public safety and health need; and Whereas, the burden of and responsibility for vaccinating high-risk and vulnerable populations often falls upon public health departments and their public partners; and Whereas, public health is often unable to serve the high-risk and vulnerable populations within a community because of a lack of timely distribution of vaccine, especially influenza vaccine; and Whereas, commercial vaccinators make early bulk purchases of influenza vaccine and are able to offer mass flu campaigns before public health can vaccinate high-risk populations; and Whereas, the federal government and local medical providers look to the public health infrastructure to be prepared to respond to and coordinate the response of any communicable disease outbreak, including an influenza pandemic; and Whereas, the federal government has provided support for the childhood immunization program nationally that has resulted in dramatic reductions in childhood vaccine preventable diseases; and Whereas, an adult immunization infrastructure is needed pr'ior' to implementation of a national universal influenza vaccine recommendation; Now Therefore, in recognition of this compelling public health challenge, the Orange County Health Department and the Orange County Commissioners request that: • Sufficient federal funding be identified to support a robust adult vaccine preventable disease vaccination infrastructure and program that would include influenza as a primary component; • Guaranteed government prices for influenza vaccine be offered as an incentive for vaccine production to meet the demand; • Federal government bulk purchase a base number of doses for public health; • Regulations be created to guarantee distribution to public agencies first; and • Enforcement rules be developed for providers who disregard high-risk vaccination criteria,. Adopted this _ day of , 2005 Alan Rimer, Chair Orange County Board of Health Moses Carey, .Jr. Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners