Preparing For Flu Season Along The Border
EL PASO, TX. – As the flu season quickly approaches, there are concerns over whether thelonestar state is ready forwhat some are calling an impendingpandemic.
State legislators say the answer is yes.The commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services testified to Congress Wednesday on pandemic influenza preparedness. His diagnosis? Texas is ready to go. He said lessons from urricanes Katrina and Rita helped the state stockpile medicines and supplies.
The state has respiratory surveillance systems tracking patients who come into hospital emergency rooms. And Texas is able to diagnose patients who have influenza within three hours from initial tests. Texas officials say there is one area for improvement though. They would like to see the state work closer with Mexico to monitor the estimated one- million people crossing the border everyday.
Authorities say they work hard to make sure they are not caught off guard, “We’ve been working on influenza preparedness for several years in the state of Texas. We’ve developed several plans that have been incorporated in the overall disaster plan in Texas. We’ve been working on how we distribute medicines, when they’re available, how we distribute vaccines, and how we work with the government to make sure essential operations continue,” said David Lakey of the Texas Department of Health Services.
In New Mexico, health officials have signed an agreement with Chihuahua to share weekly reports about flu activity in the two border states. The agreement runs through the spring of 2008. A New Mexico Department of Health spokesman said the agreement will help New Mexico get data more quickly on any flu pandemic that might move north.
