Health Officer: Obama H1N1 Emergency Declaration Won't Have an Impact Locally

President Obama's declaration of a national emergency regarding the H1N1 virus is a procedure designed to help hospitals and should not cause a panic locally, according to one area  health officer.

Westfield Regional Health Officer Megan Avallone said the declaration, which comes as local governments nationwide continue to wait for the the H1N1 vaccine, will help hospitals with the larger amount of H1N1 patients expected in the coming months. It will allow hospitals expedite treatment of those with H1N1 and move emergency rooms offsite in order to not infect other patients.

"It has nothing to do with municipal procedures," she said.

Both the Westfield Regional Health Department, which oversees Fanwood, and the Rahway Regional Health Department, which oversees Scotch Plains, are still waiting on the H1N1 vaccine. Avallone said there have been delays from the drug companies and is hoping that the doses arrive soon. 

"It should be here any day but that was the story last week too," Avallone said.

Scotch Plains posted a notice on the township Web site on Monday notifying residents that the vaccine should arrive within the next several weeks.

Once the doses arrive, clinics will be scheduled for residents in both towns. Avallone said her department is expecting 2,500 doses of the live vaccine for the 110,000 residents served by the department.

Both departments state that they will target high priority groups first, including pregnant women and children 24 and under. 

Avallone said residents should not worry about the various myths floating around about the vaccine, including that it could cause birth defects or other diseases including Persian Gulf illness. She said the vaccine has been tested and would have likely been incorporated in to the seasonal flu vaccine if H1N1 had been caught in time.

"It's complete misinformation," Avallone said of the rumors about the vaccine. "The seasonal flu vaccine is new each year and this has gone through the same testing."