Greetings from the 44th National Immunization Conference in Atlanta! With the one year anniversary of the H1N1 outbreak upon us this week, there is not a more fitting place for officials from NIH, HHS, CDC, FDA, state and local health agencies, vaccine advocacy organizations and vaccine manufacturers to gather.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius delivered the conference's keynote address, which focused on the response to the H1N1 flu pandemic, the lessons learned and efforts to strengthen America's health security in the future.
On April 21, 2009, the CDC was alerted to a new strain of influenza in California and Texas, similar to one that was presenting in Mexico. Kathleen Sebelius was still serving as governor of Kansas, but seven short days later would be sworn in as our country's 21st HHS Secretary and quickly whisked into the Situation Room at the White House where President Obama and other government leaders were beginning to mount an attack on what would become the world's first pandemic in 40 years.
Over the course of the past 12 months, the federal government worked alongside state and local health agencies to ensure that Americans were prepared for and protected against H1N1, and the H1N1 vaccine was the keystone of these efforts. As Secretary Sebelius stated, "The H1N1 vaccine was the most ambitious immunization campaign ever."
During Monday's speech, Secretary Sebelius shared several valuable lessons learned from the last year:
-- Plan and Prepare: Secretary Sebelius credited local and state public health workers, nurses and immunization coordinators for delivering vaccinations via mass immunizations at school gyms and drive-by clinics, and for hammering away at prevention messages. The CDC worked closely with state agencies to disseminate timely information about the disease and wisely used the three-month lapse between when the disease was first discovered and when its vaccine would be ready to develop and implement a communications campaign to educate Americans about the importance of being vaccinated.
-- Trust Scientists: With a newly discovered, deadly strain of influenza, scientists and medical professionals around the globe had to work efficiently, yet intelligently to understand the disease and its behaviors so that a vaccine could be manufactured. When the vaccine was developed, President Obama urged more trials than required in order to demonstrate its safety to the American public.
-- Target High-Risk Populations: With a limited vaccine supply, it was imperative to communicate to and encourage high-risk populations to be on the frontlines of receiving the vaccination. Unlike the seasonal flu, H1N1 was sickening a majority of younger Americans, as opposed to the elderly. It also affected those already suffering from chronic diseases.
-- Commit to Sharing Information: During the early stages of the outbreak, the CDC held daily press briefings, where government officials believed it to be beneficial to "tell people what they knew, when they knew it," while making certain that the public was told what to do as a result of any information they were given. The CDC was honest with the public and admitted their uncertainties about this new form of flu and the agency's messaging would shift as new data and information emerged. For example, the CDC originally urged schools to close at the earliest signs of H1N1, but this message was later adjusted and schools were asked to vaccinate students and parents were told to keep children out of school who were experiencing any H1N1 symptoms.
-- Launch Aggressive Communications Campaign: The CDC used a combination of online and offline tactics to spread information about protecting Americans from H1N1. Through a variety of initiatives, from press briefings to Twitter to a blog on WebMD, the CDC was able to circulate several key messages which resonated loud and clear with the United States public. From knowing to cough into your arm to staying home from work or school if you were presenting with symptoms, state and federal agencies, with the support of the media, succeeded in delivering clear, succinct messaging.
In the past year, more than 80 million Americans were vaccinated against H1N1 and the epidemic was ultimately less severe than originally predicted - a credit to the vaccine which protected millions of individuals from potentially getting ill. As a new flu season approaches, one that promises to be less chaotic, the government is prepared to adapt its communication strategy to re-educate Americans with new information to remain healthy. For example, it's important for the public to understand that this year's seasonal flu vaccine will contain the H1N1 vaccine.
As Secretary Sebelius concluded, "Thanks to the lessons learned with the H1N1 flu pandemic and the opportunities that have been created with health insurance reform, the Recovery Act, and other HHS programs to support public health and prevention, we have never been in a stronger position to create new and better vaccines."
Tags: CDC, FDA, Flu, H1N1, HHS, Infectious Disease, National Immunization Conference, NIH, Sebelius, Swine flu, Vaccine
