The plan is part of a coordinated multi-agency emergency response that includes operational planning and preparedness by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Fire and Police Departments. The Mayor and Health Commissioner were joined for the announcement by OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno, Health and Hospitals Corporation President Alan Aviles, FDNY Chief of Counter-Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness Joseph Pfeifer, Medical Director of the NYPD Counter-Terrorism Unit Dr. Dani-Margot Zavasky and Greater New York Hospital Association (GNHYA) President Kenneth E. Raske.
"As the nation's most densely populated city and as a major port of entry, New York City may encounter emerging public health threats before any other city," said Bloomberg. "As a leader in public health emergency preparedness, we have to be ready for the possibility -- no matter how remote -- of a pandemic flu. Having a comprehensive plan in place will ensure that we respond rapidly to an influenza pandemic. Through interagency coordination and response, if there is a pandemic, New Yorkers will be less likely to become sick, more likely to get good medical care if they do get sick, and have less disruption to their day-to-day activities."
This plan provides the framework for a coordinated response to help protect the health of New Yorkers, said Frieden, and it will be refined on an ongoing basis. "A severe pandemic would inevitably cause significant illness and social and economic dislocation, even with the best laid and most effectively implemented plans," he said. "Our plan will help minimize the impact if there is a pandemic. Without a vaccine, and with medications of limited supply and effectiveness, traditional measures of reducing disease spread -- such as covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, or staying home from work or school if you have fever -- would be crucial."
The plan focuses heavily on the health care system's ability to respond to an influenza pandemic. It describes a wide range of response measures, including how the city would:
-- Implement infection control procedures in health care facilities and in workplaces.
-- Intensify disease monitoring to track trends in hospitalizations and deaths, and guide response by optimizing detection and treatment.
-- Make the most effective possible use of limited medical resources, such as antiviral medications and ventilators.
"The city's public hospitals have 11 emergency departments that are well equipped and have well-trained staff to serve as first respondents to any large scale crisis," said Aviles. "Our facilities conduct drills throughout the year to ensure our continuing readiness as a first line of emergency response, and we also participate in the citywide emergency preparedness exercises. A pandemic would certainly tax our system, but we stand ready with significant emergency resources, personnel and expertise to help meet the needs of our patients and the public."
A pandemic influenza strain does not currently exist, said the city in a release. However, a new strain of avian influenza (H5N1) has been spreading in bird populations in Asia for several years. While the disease has a high fatality rate among people who have become ill, nearly all have gotten sick through direct contract with poultry. A genetic change in this virus could conceivably allow the disease to become more widespread. If that were to happen, a number of factors would determine whether a pandemic would occur, including how readily the disease spreads, how virulent it is to humans and whether a vaccine is available.
