Pandemic flu planning helps protect Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Yash Rojas
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Medical professionals and practitioners at Eielson recently exercised their own pandemic flu plan for the first time in conjunction with a recent operational readiness exercise.

All Air Force bases need to have contingency plans in case of outbreak and disease. The ORE served as an opportunity to observe pandemic flu planning in a live training exercise.

Staff members from the 354th Medical Group administered flu shots to anyone who had not received the 2010 flu shot. The remaining people who had not yet received their flu shot gave Eielson the chance to test the new plan to battle illness in a live exercise.

"It's a new concept," said Capt. Robert Gudgel, 354th Medical Operations Squadron public health officer. "Few Air Force bases have had the opportunity to test their pandemic flu planning yet."

Illness and infection endanger the lives of Airmen home and abroad. Training exercises give the Air Force a chance to test new ideas and put plans into action.

According to Maj. Julie Harris, 354th MDOS Diagnostics and Therapeutics flight commander, the fitness center could serve as a central location for preventive measures in the event of a real-world epidemic.

Pandemic flu planning distributes mass immunizations or medication needed for disease outbreaks. The main goal is distributing both to local population in the least amount of time.

"The main use of the gym is designed on its feasibility for separation of large amounts of people," said Major Harris. "The purpose behind a point of distribution plan is to separate the sick people from the healthy ones.

What can we take away from this ORE in regards to combating illness and disease?

The 354th MDG learned that improved planning and organization makes this contingency plan operate well.

"We learned how to move a large number of people through a distribution line in the least amount of time with the least chaos factor," Major Harris said.

Creating an effective way to separate those not involved in the exercise while still processing ORE participants in an orderly fashion presented the greatest obstacle, said Major Harris.

Members from the 354th MDG inoculated an estimated 90 people, an opportunity that not only provided a service to the community but also offered vital feedback to the base for future pandemic planning.