Doing their part to foil the flu
Hospitals coordinate prevention efforts
Brockton Hospital's influenza task force usually starts meeting in the fall. But this year the team began their planning months ago because last year's flu season arrived early.
''We're trying to stay one step ahead," said Dr. Richard Herman, chief of emergency services at Brockton Hospital and a task force member.
Planning has become critical this year in Brockton and at hospitals across the region as medical personnel try to predict and prepare for the potential impact of a vaccine shortage.
Brockton Hospital officials plan to increase staffing and are considering how to treat patients with flu symptoms at the hospital and at off-site offices and clinics if the emergency room becomes overloaded, said Herman.
''I'm expecting an influx of patients because it will be difficult for people who usually get a flu vaccine to identify where one may be available," Herman said. ''It won't be available to the general population, so there will be people who will be sick and coming to the hospital. We're planning accordingly."
Officials at other area hospitals say they are doing the same.
In the event of a severe outbreak, South Shore Hospital in Weymouth will have a respiratory isolation area for flu patients who arrive in the emergency room and need to be admitted, said Dr. Todd Ellerin, its director of infectious diseases.
At Caritas Norwood Hospital, which has no vaccine on hand, staffers are developing a strategy for deciding who will get the shots when the state Department of Public Health makes some available.
At Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, patients who come into the emergency room with flu symptoms will be offered masks as part of a respiratory etiquette program that began last year.
Officials at all the hospitals stress that prevention is the best line of defense. In addition to the masks, Jordan provides hand-sanitizing lotion dispensers throughout the building, including in the rooms of patients, public bathrooms, and the cafeteria. Workers are encouraged to use alcohol wipes to wash shared phones and computer keyboards, said Nancy Mahoney, infection control coordinator.
On Oct. 19, state Department of Public Health Commissioner Christine C. Ferguson announced that her agency would receive 320,000 doses of flu vaccine as part of an overall national redistribution effort. Added to the 134,000 doses received so far, that is only about 65 percent of what was anticipated for this flu season.
Regionally, many boards of health, including those in Weymouth and Norwell, have canceled flu clinics due to the short supply, and are working with state DPH officials to secure enough shots for those in high-risk groups, including people 65 years of age and older, children 6 to 23 months old, pregnant women, and those with chronic medical conditions. The uncertainty has caused some to wait for hours in line to receive shots at drug stores and supermarkets.
''This year, it's a different set of rules. In the past, we've had an ample supply of flu vaccine and we couldn't give it away," said Herman, at Brockton Hospital. ''The challenge is going to be if there are more high-risk patients than there are vaccine doses available, in which case we have very difficult decision-making to decide who gets the vaccine. It may be an almost impossible task."
South Shore Hospital, unlike Brockton Hospital, doesn't have any vaccine yet for patients or workers. Ellerin said that means medical workers could transmit the flu to patients during the two-day incubation period when symptoms are not noticeable. Or, they could get ill and spark a staffing shortage. As a result, he said, ''it's even more important now that we look to other measures to try to prevent the influenza."
Caritas and South Shore Hospital officials are awaiting word from the state on how many doses of vaccine they might receive. Hospitals are required to participate in an influenza vaccine tracking survey to help state officials redistribute the vaccine where it is most needed.
Wanda Carey, infection control manager at Caritas Norwood, said hospital officials also worry about whether there will be a shortage of antiviral medications if large numbers of people become ill.
''Everybody is in the same boat and everyone is going to have a higher demand because there will be more flu around," the registered nurse said. ''It has a ripple effect through the system. And everyone is having to think about the same issue: Is it going to overwhelm our resources?"
Sandy Coleman can be reached at sbcoleman@globe.com. 