Chemung County H1N1 Incident Command Team

Back Row (left to right)

Thomas Kump, Karen Miner, Lou Ann Lance, Rebecca Becraft, Wendy Brooks and Joyce Hyatt

Front Row (left to right)

Linda Swarthout, Penny Arnold, Melissa Klossner, Marlene Denicola, and James Larnard

The Chemung County H1N1 Incident Command Team convened in July 2009 to plan a mass- vaccination campaign for pandemic H1N1 influenza. The Team coordinated with local schools and colleges, hospitals and healthcare providers, human service and emergency response agencies. The team targeted the population at highest risk, school age children. A public education and awareness campaign was a key component of the effort. With over 30 schools and 15,000 students, planning focused on covering a wide geographical area in a short amount of time. Clinics in schools and public sites were conducted on 36 days. A total of 9000 shots were given. Most clinics were held in evenings or on weekends and required team members to put in many additional work hours beyond their regular public health duties. Public reaction to the clinics was overwhelmingly positive with particular praise for short wait times and outstanding organization. The Team demonstrated that large-scale clinics could be conducted with speed and efficiency, and that partnerships with community agencies were essential for effective response to a public health emergency.

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