Originally published January 17 2006
Minnesota jeopardized by lack of flu preparedness
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
For Minnesota Public Radio, Tom Scheck writes about Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt's recent visit to St. Paul, where he made projections that 30,000 Minnesotans could die in the event of flu pandemic.
Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt told a gathering of health professionals in Minnesota Wednesday that all levels of government must prepare to respond to a flu pandemic -- the federal government can't do it all.
Federal health officials gave a grim assessment Wednesday of what would happen if a flu pandemic strikes Minnesota.
They say 750,000 people would seek health care in Minnesota, and 165,000 of them would need hospitalization.
Any state, any community, any citizen that failed to prepare, assuming that the federal government could take care of them during a pandemic, would be tragically wrong.
Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, says the federal government is stockpiling medicine, ramping up vaccine research and increasing disease surveillance to prepare for an outbreak.
If a pandemic occurred soon, Gerberding says local officials would have to handle a massive outbreak on their own.
Gerberding says Minnesota's strong public health system is more prepared than other states.
If the worst-case scenario occurred, the department estimates there would only be one licensed hospital bed available for every 10 Minnesotans who would need one.
Officials also warned that hospital workers, government officials and other workers may stay home from work.
Hennepin County Emergency Preparedness Director Tim Turnbull says some estimates say up to 40 percent of the workforce may choose to stay home and care for loved ones, instead of going to work.
Sandy Tubbs, the public health nursing director in Douglas County, says it's possible that Twin Cities residents may think it's best to seek protection and isolation at their lake homes.
Others are calling on state and federal officials to dedicate more money to local public health agencies.
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