MEDIA RELEASE

HONOLULU – The Hawai’i State Department of Health (DOH) is inviting the public to give their input on the subject of vaccine allocation priorities in the event of a severe pandemic. A public meeting will be held this Saturday, May 30, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Ward Warehouse second floor Kakaako Conference Room. The gathering is part of an ongoing DOH public engagement project on pandemic influenza funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Participants will be asked to discuss values and concerns that Hawai’i decision-makers should consider when prioritizing who would receive limited supplies of vaccine in the event of a pandemic. Federal guidance will determine allocation of the bulk of vaccine supplies, but a discretionary amount will also be allotted to each state.

Dr. Sarah Park, state epidemiologist and DOH chief, Disease Outbreak Control Division will give an overview of pandemic influenza and issues relevant to vaccine distribution, as well as a brief update on the current H1N1 Influenza A situation in Hawaii.

Ward Warehouse is located at 1050 Ala Moana Blvd. The event is free and open to the public. Lunch will be provided. Registration is at http://merid.org/hawaii/index.html.