Mayor Bloomberg Launches Flu Fighters Initiative to Bolster Flu Prevention Efforts This Season
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Thomas Farley, and the City’s Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford, launched Flu Fighters, a NYC Service initiative to help combat the spread of influenza this season.
The program will mobilize hundreds of volunteers to conduct outreach at
community events, schools, senior centers and houses of worship in New
York City to raise awareness about influenza and the importance of
getting vaccinated. Flu Fighters is one of the 40 initiatives of NYC Service announced by Mayor Bloomberg in April and is a component of the City’s comprehensive influenza prevention plan outlined by the Mayor in early
September.
“Our biggest goal for NYC Service is to strategically
and methodically direct volunteers to the areas of our city where they
are needed the most – something that had never really been done
before,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Flu Fighters will address
a critical area – flu prevention – serving as a needed extension of
City efforts to protect the public. The more New Yorkers we can get to
take steps to protect themselves against the flu, the better chance we
have of containing any outbreak. If you want to make a real difference in this city and possibly save lives, then please sign up to be a Flu Fighter.”
“Our diligent work over the past six months has allowed us to
create a comprehensive and strategic citywide response to reduce the
health risks of both H1N1 and seasonal flu,” said Deputy Mayor Gibbs.
“By enlisting the help of 800 flu fighters across the five boroughs,
we’ll be able to make an even greater impact in raising public
awareness about the importance of vaccination and the preventive ways
to stop the spread of flu.”
“Influenza is unpredictable, and we want all New Yorkers to be
up to date on the latest information about the virus. Vaccination is
the best defense against the flu, so we need to inform New Yorkers of
where to go to get vaccinated,” said Commissioner Farley. “Flu Fighters
will play a key role in delivering these important messages throughout
the city.”
“Public health is one of the six impact areas we are
channeling our volunteers, in this case to address the annual threat
from the flu, which is even more relevant this year. We
are asking any New Yorker who can lend a hand to become a Flu Fighter,”
said the City’s Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford.
The Flu Fighter program aims to engage 800 or more volunteers in the program.
Volunteers can start work on some opportunities right away. New Yorkers
interested in helping prevent the spread of influenza this season by
becoming a Flu Fighter should visit www.nyc.gov or call 311.
The volunteer Flu Fighters will work in four areas:
- Community Outreach: Volunteers will be
provided with posters and brochures on how to prevent the spread of
influenza and the importance of vaccination, which they will distribute
at places of work, places of worship, senior centers, pharmacies, local
stores, and other community hubs.
- Vaccination Pledge: Volunteers will
pledge to take individuals they know to get vaccinated. Volunteers will
receive information about high-risk groups and will be encouraged to
bring friends or family members who wish to protect themselves and
others from influenza and its complications.
- VaccinationCenterAssistance: Volunteers
will help distribute screening forms or manage the flow of people in
and out of one of the weekend vaccination centers (also known as Points
of Dispensing) that will take place across the city. Multi-lingual
volunteers can assist those with limited English proficiency.
- Parent Outreach: Volunteers will
promote flu awareness at school events and ensure other parents are
aware of the due date for consent forms for school-based vaccination.
In addition to the Flu Fighter volunteer effort, the City has
developed a protocol for selecting, deploying and tracking volunteers
with professional medical experience through its Medical Reserve Corps,
a volunteer network that includes 8,700 physicians, pharmacists,
dentists, nurses, nurse practitioners, mental health providers and
other credentialed health professionals. These health professionals
will volunteer in hospitals, clinics and dispensing centers to expand
treatment capacity. The City’s public and private hospitals are
finalizing protocols for accepting the volunteers to work in their
facilities.