The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met today to make recommendations for use of vaccine against novel influenza A (H1N1).

31 July 2009 – Research conducted in the USA and published 29 July in The Lancet has drawn attention to an increased risk of severe or fatal illness in pregnant women when infected with the H1N1 pandemic virus.

During a response to a large-scale influenza outbreak such as the current H1N1 outbreak, a community’s 9-1-1 and healthcare systems may experience a surge in calls or walk-in visits for care, advice, and information. In fact, call volumes or walk-in visits could reach the point of overwhelming the 9-1-1 and healthcare systems, rendering them unable to respond to other emergencies in an efficient and effective manner. In those instances, community planners should take steps to divert unnecessary calls away from the community 9-1-1 system and non-critically ill patients away from the healthcare system to reserve both for actual emergency situations. This implementation tool provides a step-by-step approach to achieving this objective by focusing on alternative call center resources.

This podcast highlights the accomplishments of Dr. Tracie Williams, recipient of the prestigious 2009 CDC Charles C. Shepard Award.