Gimme the flu vaccine, or I won't play EMT!

[Flasurfbum]

Yet another shining star in Jersey's volunteer EMS System.....

Beach Haven First Aid Squad captain says members should be among first to get swine flu vaccine

By DONNA WEAVER, Staff Writer | Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 | 0 comments

BEACH HAVEN - The captain of the Beach Haven First Aid Squad says she and her colleagues should not have to wait two days to receive the swine flu vaccine, but instead should be among the first to receive it.

Deborah Whitcraft, a former mayor and outspoken public figure, added that as a resident of Beach Haven and a taxpayer who funds the Long Beach Island Health Department, she should be able to receive a vaccination at the clinics.

Whitcraft said the department told her she could not make an appointment to receive the swine flu vaccine at the clinics today and Wednesday. Tim Hilferty, the department's director, said Whitcraft and other emergency personnel can receive the vaccine Thursday at Southern Regional High School.

But that's not soon enough for Whitcraft. She said she answers more than 200 first aid calls per year along a 10-mile stretch of Long Beach Island and that she will not be so quick to take calls anymore after being denied a vaccination.

"If there are flu symptoms on a call, I just won't answer the call," the 10-year volunteer said.

Hilferty said that because of the limited supply of vaccine, the department and the Ocean County Health Department had to establish two sub-tiers of priority cases. The local and county departments are waiting for more vaccine to arrive every day, Hilferty said.

Whitcraft said that is all the more reason to vaccinate emergency medical personnel immediately.

"We started with pregnant women and young children. It was determined that those populations we were seeing were having the most complications from the flu. This is the population that is most vulnerable," Hilferty said.

LBI Health Department employees are not even vaccinated yet, he added.

Whitcraft referred to areas around the country that are using their vaccinations on emergency medical workers.

According to a report in the Chicago Sun Times earlier this month, the Chicago Department of Public Health's first shipment of about 16,000 doses of vaccine will be distributed primarily to hospital employees who have direct contact with patients and the Chicago Fire Department's emergency medical workers.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the vaccine began arriving in King County earlier this month and that health care workers were the first to get it. They were selected because they are most likely to get sick and to pass the illness on, the report said.

"We'll certainly open it up to the next population as soon as vaccinations are available. We're ready and willing to vaccinate everyone. It's not our objective to deny anyone the shot," Hilferty said.

The clinics offered over the next two days by the Long Beach Island Health Department are by appointment only.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that when vaccine is first available, programs and providers administer the vaccine to five target groups: pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants less than 6-months-old, health care and emergency medical services personnel, people 6 months to 24 years old and people 25 to 64 years old who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk of influenza-related complications.

These five target groups comprise an estimated 159 million people in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We cover 20 of the 18 miles of LBI, and we are the first to deal with these people. We've already had one swine flu case in Holgate," Whitcraft said.

Words fail me.

[spenac]

Wow sue her. Take her certification. On public record she is saying she will refuse calls even when on duty. And people wonder why so many oppose volunteers.

[scott33]

...And herein lies one of the main problems with the volly system. Provider doesn't get their own way, so throws teddy from the pram, and refuses to answer calls. Way to lead your department "chief"

Another thing, looking at their area of coverage, I think the "200 calls a year" will probably be for the whole department, not exclusively her.

[Redcell19512]

They don't have N95 masks in New Jersey?

[Lone Star]

"We cover 20 of the 18 miles of LBI, and we are the first to deal with these people. We've already had one swine flu case in Holgate," Whitcraft said.

How is this even mathematically possible?

I agree with stripping her of her credentials. She has publicly stated that she will NOT answer calls that present with 'flu like symptoms'. To me, this is an admission of breech of duty, and therefore should face disciplinary actions; including the loss of licensure/certification.

[tniuqs]

Really take away her licence .... yikes guys kinda harsh.

Contagiousness

More research is being done on how long a person can be infectious (be able to spread the virus to others), but it is believed that this period is for one day before the onset of symptoms and continues for approximately seven days after symptoms have started.The time it takes between being infected and experiencing symptoms is between two and seven days.

Symptoms

Almost always:

Cough and fever ( mines low grade right now )

Common:

Fatigue

Muscle aches

Sore throat

Headache (add earache to that)

Decreased appetite

Runny nose

Sometimes: (disagree strongly)

Nausea

Vomitting

Diarrhea

A diaper and a topical anesthetic, more like it.

Ok well heres just me again raving about the vaccination AGAIN (not available here yet or I WOULD have had it already) .... well last night I have had ALL of these symptoms I am so G damn sick, know what ..... after hearing about this story I just don't blame this gal one iota for making a stand, volly, pro, FF or RN .... everyone has right too refuse unsafe work, but big point missing is who does or does not have or carry it, triage flu symptoms on the phone ...hmm that will work well I bet.

I haven't felt this ill since AK forced me drink to with him .... ok poor attempt at humor.

Edited October 27, 2009 by tniuqs

[Flasurfbum]

If a paid EMT or Medic refused to take a job, there would be calling for their job. What is the difference?

Thats why we have gloves, gowns, masks and glasses on the bus. Wear them.

Why should the citizens of that community suffer because of her ignorance and ineptitude?

Refusing to enter a shooting scene before PD clears it is one thing.

Refusing to enter a burning structure without the proper gear, training, and team is one thing.

Refusing to go on flu like symptoms call because you have not been vaccinated is completely another.

I wonder how many years prior she got the flu vaccine?

[HERBIE1]

This woman is the former mayor of a town?

Holy smokes- apparently they have some real all-stars in this area.

I feel bad for the residents of that area.

[EMT Martin]

Speaking as a non-paid EMT...yes, that's right, a volunteer:

Take her out of the system.

...not all of us are motivated to serve biased on what we can and can't get. And some of us don't even earn money to motivate us; some of us just do our jobs because we have high hopes that when we're in trouble, someone will come to our aid.

My department still hasn't recieved H1N1 vaccinations; we've had them going out around us, just not to us. You don't see me throwing down my stethescope and refusing to answer calls. I have N95's if I feel in real danger. We've also had more than just one confirmed case in our area, thanks to the county fair. :/

Thank MFRI for keeping us up with that...

[tniuqs]

Refusing to enter a shooting scene before PD clears it is one thing.

Refusing to enter a burning structure without the proper gear, training, and team is one thing.

Refusing to go on flu like symptoms call because you have not been vaccinated is completely another.

I wonder how many years prior she got the flu vaccine?

(no bearing at all)

So whats the difference cause virus's are not as big as a threat ..... no I don't buy it for a millisecond, nice try though During WW1 more died from Spanish flu than in combat (just a little comparison to blow that comparison out of the water)

And just on the news again we lost another 14 year old boy in Ontario, arrested at home and EMS responded ... it took just 2 days for him to die, a 13 y/0 girl the day before, no history, healthy kids this just not unexplainable we don't understand it yet.

If you somehow believe that wearing a mask gloves and glasses is adequate or you believe that your training on any EMS level is adequate for infectious disease control for aerosolized particles and decon of truck .... please think again.

I comment this EMT for taking a stand ... now if you will excuse me ...I have first wash my keyboard and then go lay down, cause i am good to no any one right now.

cheers

Edited October 27, 2009 by tniuqs