California Health Officials Prepare To Combat Expected Increase in H1N1 Influenza Cases

California health officials are escalating efforts to prepare for a surge in H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.

The state expects to receive about two million doses of the H1N1 vaccine by mid-October and an additional eight million by the end of the month.

In a California Healthline Special Report by Deirdre Kennedy, experts discussed various measures to control the spread of the H1N1 virus.

The Special Report includes comments from:

Deborah Burger, president of the California Nurses Association labor union;
Gil Chavez, deputy director of the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Infectious Diseases;
Cheri Hummel, vice president of disaster preparations with the California Hospital Association; and
Hilary McLean of the California Department of Education.

Hospitals and health agencies are training their workers to fill in for other staff who could fall ill from H1N1 flu.

Meanwhile, school officials are using online tools to spread awareness about the virus (Kennedy, California Healthline, 9/8).

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

<h1>California Health Officials Prepare To Combat Expected Increase in H1N1 Influenza Cases</h1>
<div>		<time class="posted-on" datetime="2009-09-08T00:00:00-07:00">
			September 8, 2009		</time>
		</div>
California health officials are escalating efforts to prepare for a surge in H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.The state expects to receive about two million doses of the H1N1 vaccine by mid-October and an additional eight million by the end of the month.In a California Healthline Special Report by Deirdre Kennedy, experts discussed various measures to control the spread of the H1N1 virus. The Special Report includes comments from:<ul><li>Deborah Burger, president of the California Nurses Association labor union;</li><li>Gil Chavez, deputy director of the California Department of Public Health’s Center for Infectious Diseases;</li><li>Cheri Hummel, vice president of disaster preparations with the California Hospital Association; and</li><li>Hilary McLean of the California Department of Education.</li></ul>Hospitals and health agencies are training their workers to fill in for other staff who could fall ill from H1N1 flu.Meanwhile, school officials are using online tools to spread awareness about the virus (Kennedy, California Healthline, 9/8).<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us">KFF Health News</a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about <a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us">KFF</a>.<a href="https://californiahealthline.org/morning-briefing/">Subscribe</a> to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing.

Some elements may be removed from this article due to republishing restrictions. If you have questions about available photos or other content, please contact khnweb@kff.org.