KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Hundreds of people were vaccinated against the seasonal flu today as part of a drill testing local plans to rapidly distribute large supplies of medicine to local communities. Months of planning and training by over 75 staff members from public health and partner organizations contributed to the successful effort.

The drill tested the organization of patient flow through a Medication Center, the ability to meet the diverse needs and requirement of patients, including those who have limited English speaking ability and those with disabilities, the effectiveness of signage, and staffing levels and functions.

“We’re pleased that so many people had the opportunity to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu today while also helping our emergency preparedness efforts,” said Dorothy Teeter “Preparedness is an ongoing process, and today’s drill helps us improve our ability to respond to urgent health and safety needs of the public.”

In an emergency, Public Health’s Medication Centers would quickly gear up to dispense medicines or vaccines safely to the public. Public Health is capable of operating four Medication Centers simultaneously, and would coordinate with other response partners to serve all King County residents if needed.

As local supplies of vaccines, antibiotics and other medical equipment may be quickly depleted in an emergency, Public Health may access state and federal resource assistance by requesting mobilization of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) of medical supplies. The SNS is a cache of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical supplies managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and made available to assist states and local communities in their emergency response activities.

The metropolitan Seattle region is one of 21 urban areas that have been chosen to participate in the CDC’s Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) program. The goal of CRI is to save lives through timely delivery of the SNS, which includes medicines and medical supplies during a large-scale public health emergency. Conducted in concert with state and local partners, this drill is part of Public Health’s local CRI efforts.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is among the largest metropolitan health departments in the country, providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services that achieve and sustain safer and healthier communities for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County . Answering the needs of an increasingly diverse population, Public Health - Seattle & King County touches people's lives every day through health promotion and prevention activities, disease surveillance, health care, outreach and referral services, environmental health services, emergency medical care, jail health services, and readiness and response to public health emergencies.

# # #