Conney Safety

Influenza Information

UPDATE: Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Kids Swine Flu Shots Recalled; Not Strong Enough

ATLANTA December 15, 2009, 12:22 pm ET

Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday.

The recall is for about 800,000 pre-filled syringes intended for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years. The shots, made by Sanofi Pasteur, were distributed across the country last month and most have already been used, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doctors were notified of the voluntary recall on Tuesday. Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC flu expert, stressed that parents dont need to do anything or to worry. The vaccine is still safe, she said.

UPDATE: Friday, December 11, 2009

Swine flu continues its decline, CDC says
December 11, 2009, 9:02 am

Except for deaths, most indicators of pandemic H1N1 influenza activity continued to decline last week, although all remained higher than normal for this time of year, according to new figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this morning. The increase in deaths linked to the disease is caused by a lag in reporting, and experts believe that deaths are also on the wane.

Swine flu activity is reported to be widespread in 14 states -- including California -- down from 25 during Thanksgiving week. Almost all the influenza viruses isolated and identified continue to be swine flu rather than seasonal viruses. Visits to doctors for influenza-like illnesses declined for the sixth straight week, following four weeks of sharp increases. Influenza-related hospitalizations have also declined again, but remain higher than expected for this time of year. Hospitalization rates continue to be highest in children up to 4 years old.

UPDATE: Thursday, November 19, 2009

Should Santa move to head of line for H1N1 shot?

Should the U.S. government move Santa Claus to the front of the line for H1N1 shots?

As the Christmas season approaches, malls are already setting up thrones for Santa, welcoming kids to jump in Santas lap and whisper all their secret hopes in his ear.

As for Santas, theyre pressing Washington to let them join pregnant women and toddlers at the front of the line.

The kids are "little Petri dishes that are sitting on our laps and you have to protect them as well as yourself," said Robert Flemming, a Santas helper at a mall in Fresno.

’Tis the Season: Hog Farmers Plead for H1N1 Vaccine Ahead of Santa

When making a list - and checking it twice - the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should place hog farmers ahead of Santa Claus for priority access to the H1N1 vaccine, the National Pork Producers Council recommended.

“Santa Claus is among our most revered figures,” said Don Butler, president of the pork council in a news release. “But – and I hope I don’t get on his naughty list for this – inoculating pork industry workers to ensure that our pigs remain healthy, we feel, is at least as important – if not more so – as keeping Father Christmas from getting the flu.”

With vaccines for the H1N1 influenza still in tight supply nationwide, some groups want the vaccine ahead of the general public. Already the CDC has a priority list for the vaccine, including pregnant women, caregivers for children younger than six-months of age and health care and emergency medical services personnel.

But so far, that list doesn’t include hog workers or Santa.

UPDATE: Saturday, October 24, 2009

H1N1 Widespread in 46 States as Vaccines Lag

WASHINGTON — President Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to speedily set up alternate sites for treatment and triage procedures if needed to handle any surge of patients, the White House said on Saturday.

The declaration came as thousands of people lined up in cities across the country to receive vaccinations, and as federal officials acknowledged that their ambitious vaccination program has gotten off to a slow start. Only 16 million doses of the vaccine were available now, and about 30 million were expected by the end of the month. Some states have requested 10 times the amount they have been allotted.

UPDATE: Friday, October 23, 2009

Hand sanitizer in short supply as swine flu hits

Makers of the antiseptic rush to increase production amid fears of a swine flu pandemic.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Demand for hand sanitizer has gone through the roof since the first cases of swine flu broke out earlier this year, and some makers of the germ-fighting gels are scrambling to keep up.

Market research firm Panjiva recently estimated that 3 million kilograms of hand sanitizer were shipped in the third quarter, compared with 1 million kilograms in the same quarter last year.

Josh Green, chief executive of Panjiva, said concern about the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu, is the "most likely explanation" for the surge in volume.

And demand is only expected to rise given the outlook for an exceptionally bad flu season.

UPDATE: Monday, October 5, 2009

Businesses brace for onslaught of flu season

Businesses battered by the recession now face a brutal flu season that could strike four times as many employees as usual and challenge some companies ability to operate.

The spread of H1N1 could cripple businesses that have sliced staffs to survive, only to learn that as much as 40 percent of their remaining employees could call in sick at the height of flu season.

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said H1N1 appears to be no more deadly than seasonal flu but could infect more people because so few have immunity to it. H1N1 also is expected to hit younger people harder, meaning more adults may call off work to take care of sick children.

The amount of illness "cannot be predicted with a high degree of certainty," the CDC said, so employers must prepare for the worst.

"I think anybody would have to look at how you would continue to operate" if the CDCs grim projection occurs, said Max Gates, a spokesman for Chrysler, which employs more than 4,000 at factories in Toledo, Perrysberg Township and Twinsburg.

UPDATE: Thursday, September 17, 2009

Swine flu vaccine approved by FDA

The Food and Drug Administration approved four swine flu vaccines and some 45 million doses of it should be available by mid-October, federal officials said yesterday afternoon.

Preliminary trials of the vaccines showed a "robust immune response in most healthy adults eight to 10 days after a single dose," said the FDA in a statement.

The news comes on the heels of Fridays announcement that the vaccine works in just one dose rather than two, defying scientists expectations and fears that there might not be enough vaccine to go around.

UPDATE: Friday, August 21, 2009

WHO predicts 'explosion' of swine flu cases

Friday, August 21, 2009
Associated Press

BEIJING — The global spread of swine flu will endanger more lives as it speeds up in coming months and governments must boost preparations for a swift response, the World Health Organization said Friday.

There will soon be a period of further global spread of the virus, and most countries may see swine flu cases double every three to four days for several months until peak transmission is reached, said WHO's Western Pacific director, Shin Young-soo.

"At a certain point, there will seem to be an explosion in case numbers," Shin told a symposium of health officials and experts in Beijing. "It is certain there will be more cases and more deaths."

UPDATE: Friday, July 24, 2009

CDC: Up to 40 Percent of Americans May Get Swine Flu Over Next 2 Years

Friday, July 24, 2009
Associated Press

U.S. health officials say swine flu could strike up to 40 percent of Americans over the next two years and as many as several hundred thousand could die if a vaccine campaign and other measures are not successful.

Those estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mean about twice the number of people who usually get sick in a normal flu season would be stricken by swine flu.

UPDATE: Thursday, July 16, 2009

H1N1 pandemic spreading too fast to count: WHO

H1N1 virus has spread more quickly than other pandemics
WHO says pointless to count individual cases
But countries should track deaths, unusual patterns

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the H1N1 flu pandemic was the fastest-moving pandemic ever and that it was now pointless to count every case.

The United Nations agency, which declared an influenza pandemic on June 11, revised its requirements so that national health authorities need only report clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the new virus or unusual clinical patterns.

"The 2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks," it said in a statement on the new strain, commonly known as swine flu.

NYC Has First Swine Flu Death as Cases Soar

NEW YORK — A school assistant principal became the city's first death linked to swine flu, and the number of cases in Japan surged to more than 120 on a wave of new confirmations, prompting government-ordered school closures and cancellations of public events.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 14, 2009

NYC closing schools to deal with big flu outbreak

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City has closed three schools in response to a swine flu outbreak that has left an assistant principal in critical condition and sent hundreds of kids home with flu symptoms, in a flare-up of the virus that sent shock waves through the world last month.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that four students and the assistant principal have documented cases of swine flu at a Queens middle school. More than 50 students have gone home sick with flulike symptoms there, he said. At another middle school in Queens, 241 students were absent Thursday. Dozens more were sick at an elementary school.

The Health Department said the assistant principal is on a ventilator, marking the most severe illness in the city from swine flu to date. The students who have fallen ill in this latest surge of illness appear to be experiencing mild symptoms, similar to routine flu.

UPDATE: Thursday, May 7, 2009

Richard Besser, acting chief of the CDC, said yesterday: “I wish I could predict what we’re going to see in the fall, because that would make it very easy to make the kinds of decisions we’re going to need to make as a nation over the next couple of months. We could see the current strain fizzle out and never come back again. We could see it mutate and change and come back in a more severe form. What we need to do is make sure we’re prepared.” Read more...

Now is the time to make sure your company has a comprehensive plan in place for dealing with pandemic illnesses and other emergencies. Not sure where to start? Conney can help! Call our Compliance Services hotline at 1.800.854.7940--our trained safety and envinromental professionals are ready to help you!

UPDATE: Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Conney is very excited to have secured a shipment of DuPont™ RelyOn™ hand sanitizer in the very-in-demand 2 oz spray bottle style. Based on external comparative testing with a 2 oz gel formulation, the DuPont™ RelyOn™ 2 oz hand spray provided twice the number of applications, and its performance in killing disease-causing agents like the influenza virus is unmatched. We expect this product to be in great demand due to its superior performance and overall value per application, so make sure to place your order while there are still sufficient quantities available.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Conney has received a number of incoming shipments of N95 respirators (with and without exhalation valves). Scroll down to the product listing towards the bottom of this page for updated information on which items we currently have in stock for same-day shipment.

UPDATE: Friday, May 1, 2009

According to an article in today's USA Today, "the official world count for the fast-spreading swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, virus was 331 cases in 11 countries with 10 deaths, the World Health Organization said in a briefing Friday."

The article goes on to report that:

In the U.S., the confirmed number of swine flu cases has topped 100. The CDC confirms 109, and states are confirming another 23. Cases now are confirmed in New York, Texas, California, South Carolina, Kansas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Ohio, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Maine, Colorado, Georgia and Minnesota.

Schools across the country continue to close because of concern over actual or suspected cases. Close to 300 schools have closed as of Friday, including as many as 200 in Texas and 60 in Alabama, as well as New York, California, South Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, Ohio, Utah, Washington state, Michigan, Maine and Maryland.

UPDATE: Thursday, April 30, 2009

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today declared a public health emergency in Wisconsin in response to the presence of Swine Influenza A (H1N1) in the state.

For the latest information about the swine flu, including the latest situation reports and updates on flu cases in Wisconsin, go to: http://pandemic.wisconsin.gov/. The list of states with the numbers of people who are confirmed cases is updated daily at 11am at www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

UPDATE: Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) today raised its alert level to Phase 5, the next-to-highest level in the worldwide warning system, saying that the global spread of H1N1 influenza, a pandemic, is highly likely.

According to an article in the New York Times, "Phase 5 has never been declared before. Phase 6 means a pandemic is under way. The health organization’s said its decision was based on the continuing spread of swine flu in the United States and Mexico, particularly the increasing numbers of unexplained cases among people not exposed to travelers or to institutions like schools or hospitals where many people have close contact with one another and high rates of transmission might be expected."

The article goes on to quote Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of WHO, as saying, “All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans."

UPDATE: Tuesday, April 28, 2009

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, health authorities said they uncovered possible cases of the new strain of A/H1N1 swine flu in the Middle East and Asia, a day after the World Health Organization moved a step closer to declaring a pandemic by moving their alert level to 4 (on a six-point scale). The article goes on to state that:

“In Mexico, the number of suspected swine flu deaths passed 150. In the U.S., the number of confirmed U.S. cases rose to 64, including five hospitalizations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new data indicated the strain is causing more severe illness in the U.S. than originally seen; only one of the first 40 cases confirmed had to be hospitalized. The incubation period for the disease appeared to be from two to seven days, the CDC said.”

Earlier in the week, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, deputy director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said, “Because the virus is already quite widespread in different locations, containment is not a feasible option."

Dr. Fukuda emphasized that the committee thought that “a pandemic is not inevitable — the situation is fluid and will continue to evolve.”

What You Need to Know

What can businesses do to prepare?

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, in the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical.

In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed a checklist for businesses. It identifies important, specific activities businesses can do now to prepare, many of which will also help in other emergencies. The checklist covers a number of topics, including:

Planning for the impact of a pandemic on your business
Planning for the impact of a pandemic on your employees and customers
Establishing policies to be implemented during a pandemic
Allocating resources to protect your employees and customers during a pandemic
Communicating to and educate your employees
Coordinating with external organizations and help your community

Further information can be found at www.pandemicflu.gov and www.cdc.gov/business.

Even though a pandemic is not inevitable, it is important to prepare and plan for pandemic influenza.

What products are recommended for influenza preparedness?

Conney Safety has put together a quick guide to the types of safety products you should consider having on hand:

Facemasks: Facemasks, while popular because of their comfort for the wearer, are designed primarily to keep droplets from spreading from the person wearing the mask. They also protect the wearer's mouth and nose from splashes (and keep the wearer from unconsciously putting their hands in contact with their nose or mouth). They are not created to protect the wearer from breathing in very small particles. Look for face masks labeled for surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation or laser use.)
Disposable Respirators:Disposable respirators, while similar in appearance to facemasks (especially flat-fold respirators), are designed to protect the wearer from breathing in small particles. Respirators fit more snugly on the face than facemasks so that most air is breathed through the filter material. They work best if they are fitted specifically to the person wearing the mask. Respirators with exhalation valves protect the wearer from inhaled particles, but do not stop the spread of germs, as air is exhaled through the valve. Valve-less disposable respirators, on the other hand, protect both the wearers and those around them. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rates respirators according to their filter efficiency and their resistance to the effects of oil. When selecting a disposable respirator, consider the following:

N95: The most common and least expensive option. "N" indicates that the contaminant being protected from has "no oil". Viruses, including H1N1 influenza, contain no oil, so the N95 is appropriate.
R95: The "R" indicates "oil resistant" and implies that the respirator is approved for using the product up to 8 hours in an environment with oil. The "R" has no bearing on flu virus protection, so works the same as the N95.
P95: "P" stands for "oil proof" and implies that the respirator fabric is completely oil proof and is not degraded over time by exposure to oil (no time limit concerns). While slightly more expensive than the R95 respirators, P95 respirators are just as effective as an N95 for influenza protection.
N99: Like the N95, the "N" here indicates no resistance to oil (which doesn't matter for influenza protection). The "99" indicates that it is 99% effective against contaminants down to a .3 micron particle size. N99 respirators are slightly harder to breath through than an N95 respirator and are more expensive. The N95 has been determined to be effective enough to properly block out virus aerosols, so while N99 respirators will certainly offer protection from influenza, going to the higher-rated filter isn't necessary.
N100 or P100: These are the highest rated of all the filters and indicates a 99.97% efficiency down to a .3 micron particle size. These respirators are the hardest to breath through (and the most expensive) of all the filter styles out there. They are normally reserved for very fine cancer-causing particles (such as lead or asbestos), but can certainly can be used for protection from an influenza virus.
For more information on how to choose the respirator which best fits your needs, see: Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use in Certain Community Settings Where Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission Has Been Detected

Hand Sanitizers: Hand hygiene plays a critical role in helping to keep any type of flu from spreading, so this should be a focal point for all to consider. This includes frequent hand washing and/or use of hand sanitizers in situations where hand washing might not be convenient or available.
Surface Sanitizers: Keeping common work areas clean and sanitized is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infection. Have employees wipe down their telephones or headsets, as well as keyboards/mouse, at the beginning and end of each shift. Janitorial staff should take extra care wiping down door handles, time clocks, surface areas in breakrooms, restrooms, and other areas with common equipment used by many employees.
Disposable Exam Gloves: Disposable exam gloves are an important way to prevent germs from spreading. Health care workers and other public safety professionals go through hundreds of pairs of gloves a day. Additionally, anyone who has frequent contact with the public and cannot wash their hands between contacts should wear gloves to protect themselves from disease transmission. Don't develop a false sense of security by wearing a mask or respirator but no hand protection. The easiest way to get the disease is by touching a door knob, gas pump handle or grocery cart after someone who is sick has used it.

For more information:

Conney Safety's Influenza Preparedness Products:

Conney Safety is continuously working with our suppliers to ensure that we have sufficient quantities of high-quality safety products to help you prepare for the possibility of pandemic influenza. Please select one of the categories below to see a list of products within that category along with pricing and availabilty. Conney is committed to helping you keep your business prepared and your employees safe.

H1N1-Related Product Categories
		N95 Disposable Respirators without Valve
		N95 Disposable Respirators with Valve
		Dust Masks
		Surgical Masks
		Hand Sanitizers
		Surface Disinfectant
		Exam Gloves