NCJ Number
220905
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 69 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 28-31,41
Date Published
October 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Oklahoma Department of Corrections' (DOC's) plan for a pandemic flu epidemic that could impact the populations of its 51 facilities.
Abstract
"Pandemic influenza" is defined as "a global outbreak of an influenza virus for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine." Due to the security measures necessary for inmate populations, the anticipated staff absenteeism, diagnosis, triage, treatment, and security of inmates present a challenge for a reduced staff. It is imperative, therefore, that State corrections departments develop a pandemic flu plan. In Oklahoma, an interdisciplinary DOC pandemic flu task force was created to plan for the recognition and management of a pandemic flu outbreak in Oklahoma's system. Task force members included the deputy director of institutions; the chief of operational services; and representatives from medical services, the Office of General Counsel (legal), human resources, mental health services, training and staff development services, executive communications, security and facility operations, legislative liaison, and community corrections. Key elements of the DOC's pandemic flu plan developed by the task force include assigning daily surveillance measures and triggers for plan implementation, defining command-and-control communication pathways, creating checklists for screening and treatment, establishing temporary sick bays and morgues, and prioritizing vaccine and antiviral administration to DOC staff from the Strategic National Stockpile and other sources. The written plan has been developed to accommodate altered standards of care and continuity-of-operations strategies, based on staffing shortages of various levels. The distribution in Oklahoma of medications from the Strategic National Stockpile is handled through the Mass Immunization Prophylaxis Strategy (MIPS), which is managed by the Oklahoma Department of Health. In Oklahoma, a parallel distribution system for sheltered-in populations, known as SIPS, will also be deployed, which includes corrections incarcerated populations.