Sims proposes major effort to prepare for pandemic flu

Oct. 12, 2005

Sims proposes major effort to prepare for pandemic flu

In response to growing concern about the threat of pandemic flu, King County Executive Ron Sims today proposed a major local investment in strategies to reduce the severity of potential illness and death in King County.

"A pandemic can move around the world in a flash, so we must have medicine on hand and strategies in place to keep medical and other vital services operating," Executive Sims said. "We need to empower our citizens and businesses with information to protect themselves and their families, and we need to buy medicine for protecting first responders and treating people at highest risk."

Sims cited fresh concerns from international health experts about bird flu in Asia , its expected mutation into a strain that can be spread from person to person, and its potential movement across the world. Many members of the Congress are expressing concern that the United States needs to prepare for a pandemic.

"Executive Sims' leadership on this emerging national concern is an important step towards strengthening our region's response to a major flu pandemic," said Senator Patty Murray. "I commend him for taking action at the local level today to prepare and protect our communities."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the U.S. alone, an influenza pandemic could infect up to 200 million people and cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths. Twenty five to 35% of the workforce could be affected at any given time, and the economic impact in the U.S. could range from $71 billion to $166 billion. In King County alone, it is estimated that during the first six weeks of a potential pandemic 1.2 million people could become infected, up 57,000 could require hospitalization, and nearly 3,000 could die.

"Pandemic flu may overwhelm national or global resources quickly, so local preparations must supply the backbone for our readiness," said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County . "This investment will strengthen our health care system's emergency capacity to serve those in need of care, and will support our most vulnerable residents."

"Our region's emergency managers worry more about a possible pandemic and its devastating effects over the course of several weeks than they do about terrorist attacks and major earthquakes," said Executive Sims. "The impacts could last weeks or months and that would not only harm people's health, it would devastate our economy."

Sims proposes investment of nearly $6 million to prepare for and deal with a pandemic. The funds will be requested in a supplement to the 2005 budget appropriation from current expense savings. The proposal includes:

$1 million for public education about flu protection and prevention; for strengthening support, outreach and training to vulnerable populations; and for increasing our ability to care for sick people when demand is greatest.
$2.48 million for the antiviral medicine Tamiflu to protect ill first responders, including: public health personnel; fire, police and EMS workers; and providers of critical infrastructure such as water, power and sewage treatment.
$2.28 million for Tamiflu to treat ill people in high-risk categories
$200,000 for support of emergency communication in all King County jurisdictions through the Regional Public Information Network.

On October 3, Sims hosted 50 businesses at a pandemic flu conference where a variety of preparedness issues were discussed, including development of contingency plans when up to 35% of a company's staff and its suppliers' staff are ill and unable to work.

Additional information:

Executive initiative funding