(Salt Lake City, UT) - The Utah Department of Health (UDOH), has received a continuation of its Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The 2005 CDC grant allocates $8.5 million to be used to enhance public health’s ability to protect Utahns from disease outbreaks and acts of bioterrorism. Of this total $3.7 million will be passed through to local health departments.

"With more than two years of grant-funded preparations complete, Utah’s public health departments are more prepared than ever to handle all kinds of public health disasters. Still, much more needs to be done to increase our ability to respond to emergencies," said A. Richard Melton, Deputy Director, UDOH. "This funding allows us to continue the work which is underway." Utah’s 2004, $10.9 million grant award was reduced to enable the CDC to redirect some funding to large cities and other federal level projects.

Because of the previous year’s grant funding, the UDOH, as well as all 12 of Utah’s local health departments, have been able to add multiple abilities and tools to their response capabilities. A strong public health system requires well-trained public health professionals who are equipped with the right tools and resources so that the system can respond to emergencies and detect and control disease outbreaks. Utah is now able to enhance the ability of public health agencies to recognize and respond to natural or unintentionally caused disasters, outbreaks of diseases such as influenza and food poisoning, as well as intentional or terrorist acts involving biological or chemical agents.

The following list of accomplishments highlight some potentially life-saving activities that can be utilized in an emergency.

*The UDOH has hired four skilled epidemiologists to investigate disease outbreaks in different parts of the state, strengthening Utah’s ability to locate and respond to disease outbreaks.

*The UDOH has set up two new data management systems that help epidemiologists track disease outbreaks. These systems also give early warning of a potential outbreak by tracking emergency department visits and over-the-counter drug sales.

*Utah’s public health laboratory has been able to modernize and provide updated laboratory services that better or equal the national standard of care. Enhanced laboratory scientist skills and training have already been put to good use in recent monkey pox and chicken pox cases, testing for West Nile virus in humans, and suspect SARs cases. Public health laboratory scientists can test for most diseases and for many chemical agents that could be used for bioterrorism.

*An emergency communication tool called the Utah Notification and Information System (UNIS), has been created. UNIS can send emergency alerts to the public by telephone and notify emergency responders via email, telephone and fax of important life-saving information. UNIS also has a Web site-based tool that helps officials manage an emergency.

*UDOH has hotlines that can be activated in an emergency to provide information to the public and answer their questions.

*From July 2003 to June 2004 approximately 1,333 public health and health care professionals and emergency responders received important training to help them to respond to a public health emergency more effectively.

Throughout the coming year, the UDOH and 12 local health departments will continue to improve their ability to respond to a public health emergency and enhance some of the tools created this past year. The Department will also increase its public education and outreach, teaching Utahns what they can do in advance to prepare for an emergency.

7:09:20 AM    

Today, Gov. Olene S. Walker raised concerns regarding the Utah Clean Water, Quality Growth and Open Space Initiative (Initiative 1) which will appear on the ballot Nov. 2.

"I have been a long-time advocate of open space, conservation, trails, and clean air and water," said Walker. "The dream behind Initiative 1 is right, but the implications are wrong. I feel I have an obligation to speak out."

The governor cited several reasons the initiative should not pass and encouraged legislators and proponents of the initiative to continue working on it in the next legislative session.

"The initiative touts open space and other admirable concepts, but do citizens realize that $30 million of the $150 million will be used for such things as convention centers, fair grounds and local government buildings?" Walker questioned. "This initiative commits the state to assume local government funding issues when it already has such pressing needs like education, transportation and prison growth."

Walker is also concerned the initiative adds to the debt of the state which in the long-term could jeopardize Utah’s triple A bond rating.

"While we all want clean air and open space for future generations, this initiative comes with the price of saddling our children with $150 million in debt," Walker said.

With extensive knowledge of the state budgeting process, the governor warned that budgeting by initiative sets a precedent. "This process has not served states like California and Oregon well. It is prudent to determine the budget by looking at all needs and issues facing Utah, rather than addressing them in a piecemeal fashion."

The initiative also requires the state to pay property taxes to local government.

"I question the wisdom of the state paying property tax on local government facilities," the governor stated.

Walker urged Utahns to understand the proposal completely before voting. Voters can find more information on Initiative 1, including an impartial analysis and pro and con arguments, in the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet. The pamphlet is available online at www.elections.utah.gov. It will also be distributed in all general circulation newspapers beginning Oct. 11. Utahns who do not subscribe to a newspaper will receive the pamphlet in the weekly mailed advertisements.

7:07:52 AM    

Salt Lake City, UT) - Due to the nationwide shortage of flu vaccine, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) in collaboration with Utah's 12 local health departments today recommended that all available public and private vaccine in Utah be used to vaccinate persons at the highest risk of influenza complications for the next four weeks. During that time the UDOH will assess the success of reaching those populations as well as the amount of remaining vaccine and consider expanding recommendations to include lower risk groups.

The UDOH completely endorses the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) statement that all health care providers and others who provide flu vaccine restrict its use to persons in the following priority groups:

• children 6 months to 23 months of age
• adults 65 years of age and older
• persons 2 years to 64 years with chronic medical conditions*
• all women who will be pregnant during influenza season
• residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
• children 6 months to 18 years of age on long-term aspirin therapy
• health-care workers with direct patient care, and
• out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children <6 months of age.

"For at least the next four weeks we strongly request that all public and private organizations, including those with scheduled community flu shot clinics, refocus their efforts on reaching these high risk groups," says Dr. Scott Williams, Executive Director, UDOH. "We ask others to wait until those most at risk of life-threatening complications from influenza have the chance to receive the vaccine."

Persons in the priority groups, and those caring for them, should search locally for vaccine if their regular health care provider does not have vaccine available. Information about providers and clinics that have vaccine for priority groups can be obtained by calling your health care provider, local health department or the UDOH's Immunization Hotline at 1-800-275-0659.

Persons who are not in the priority groups should wait to get a flu shot until the situation can be reassessed in about a month and updated recommendations are issued. UDOH encourages physicians and others who provide flu vaccine to educate their clients about the vaccine supply situation and ask healthy individuals to defer vaccination.

"We are relying on the cooperation of the public and flu vaccine providers to help us assure that vaccine is first available for those at highest risk of complications and the health care workers who care for them," said Dr. Scott Williams, Executive Director, UDOH. "The UDOH with support of local health departments will continue to monitor vaccine supplies and reevaluate these recommendations as the season progresses."

Before making the recommendation, UDOH completed an assessment of the influenza vaccine inventory in the state. The Department found that although the shortage may be slightly less severe in Utah than in other states, significant shortages are present in some areas and for some flu vaccine providers.

The vaccine shortage occurred because the British regulatory agency suspended the Chiron Corporation's license to produce vaccine. None of the Chiron vaccine had been distributed to people or health care providers in Utah. The vaccine available from health care providers in Utah is from different manufacturers.

Approximately 36,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu each year - the vast majority of these are individuals from high-risk groups. UDOH estimates that there are 525,000 people in Utah in the high-risk groups and all available doses may be needed for those in the priority groups. Influenza vaccine provides the greatest benefit to those who are at high risk of serious complications if they get influenza.

The inactivated or killed vaccine (shot) is recommended for individuals at high risk of complications from influenza. Healthy individuals aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant are encouraged to get the live attenuated vaccine (nasal spray). This includes health care workers and contacts of children less than 6 months of age. The live attenuated vaccine should not be used for health care workers who care for severely immunocompromised patients.

UDOH recommends the following simple steps to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like influenza:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick and keep your distance from others when you are sick.
• Wash your hands often.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Use alternative greetings to handshaking during the flu season.

UDOH also recommends that individuals 65 years of age and older or those who have certain medical conditions receive the pneumonia vaccine. Pneumonia is a life threatening complication resulting from influenza. Pneumonia vaccine, which is readily available, can be given year round and is usually given just once in a lifetime.

For more information about influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, contact your health care provider, local health department, or the Immunization Hotline at 1-800-275-0659. Physicians wanting additional information on vaccine resources may contact the Utah Immunization Program at 801-538-9450.

* Persons with chronic medical conditions include those with

• pulmonary illnesses such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, or asthma;
• cardiovascular illnesses, such as congestive heart failure;
• chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus);
• kidney dysfunction;
• hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell anemia;
• immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]).

7:05:57 AM    

Today, Lt. Governor Gayle McKeachnie joined Ray Martin and Linda Braithwaite, patrons of the Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled, to debut the Braille and audio formats of the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet.

"It is important that we provide all voters with the opportunity to study and research their candidates in order to make an informed decision on Election Day," said Lt. Gov. Gayle McKeachnie. "We appreciate the efforts of the Library for the Blind to provide the Voter Information Pamphlet and other election materials in accessible formats that will assist visually impaired voters in Utah."

Voters interested in obtaining the Braille and audio formats of the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet can contact the Library for the Blind and Disabled at (801) 715-6789. The Braille format of the pamphlet can be mailed or e-mailed to interested constituents. The audio format can be checked out from the Library as well.

The Utah Voter Information Pamphlet will be delivered to Utah households beginning Oct. 11. The pamphlet will also be available in local libraries, all county clerks’ offices and online at www.elections.utah.gov.

For more information, please contact the State Elections Office at (801) 538-1041 or the Library for the Blind at (801) 716-6789.

7:02:59 AM