UHS Prepares for Possible Flu Outbreak

As fears about a bird flu pandemic continue to mount, Harvard is preparing for a possible influenza outbreak and increasing its supply of seasonal flu vaccines.

The bird flu mutation, avian influenza A (H5N1), has killed more than 60 people in Asia over the past two years, according to the World Health Organization. Recently, the virus spread to birds in eastern Europe.

Avian influenza A is currently only transmitted to humans via contact with birds. However, an influenza pandemic could begin if the virus mutated, enabling it to spread from person to person easily, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Yesterday President Bush announced a $7.1 billion plan to stockpile vaccine doses and prepare the nation for a possible outbreak. (See story, page 2.)

Harvard University Health Services (UHS) Director David S. Rosenthal said the University has already begun to plan its response.

“We have an incident team that is already working on [bird flu] and discussing plans,” Rosenthal said. “We’re well aware of it.”

The University will supplement its supply of face masks left over from the 2003 SARS outbreak as part of its preparations. No medications to combat bird flu, however, are available for purchase.

Tamiflu, the one medication doctors think may be effective with avian influenza A, is no longer available for private purchases in the United States. Its Swiss maker, Roche Holding AG, said it was temporarily discontinuing shipments amidst concerns about hoarding, the Washington Post reported on Oct. 27.

Deborah S. Yokoe, an infectious disease specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said that individuals definitely should not stockpile Tamiflu.

“There are lots of reasons not to stockpile, including the fact that if you have the drug on hand it’s going to be hard to know when and how best to take it,” Yokoe said. “The drugs do have [a] shelf-life, which is about five years.”

In addition, Yokoe said that the costs of stockpiling may be prohibitive for private citizens, and that overusage of the drug could increase viral resistance, rendering Tamiflu ineffective.

While it makes sense for federal governments to purchase the medication in large quantities, she said, it is still unclear whether private institutions like Harvard should stockpile the drug.

UHS is not the only body in the University considering the ramifications of an influenza epidemic.

It is not currently known how a potential outbreak would affect the international travel plans of Harvard students. Director of the Office of International Programs Jane Edwards said that in the event of a larger threat, Harvard would negotiate with individual undergraduates about their travel plans, as the University did during the SARS outbreak. The CDC has not yet issued any travel restrictions as a result of bird flu.

In the meantime, UHS is awaiting a shipment of 4,000 additional doses of seasonal flu vaccine. Rosenthal said that the Department of Public Health has lifted restrictions on the use of the vaccine, which does not protect against avian influenza A. Once the shipment arrives, UHS hopes to vaccinate more than just people who have a high risk of becoming seriously ill with the flu. Last year and thus far this year, UHS has only inoculated individuals who are at high risk, such as the elderly, infants, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions.

Rosenthal emphasized the importance of good hand hygiene in preventing the transmission of the flu. Students should use the Purel and other alcohol-based gels available in dining halls, he said.

Rosenthal also said it is not too late to be vaccinated. He suggested students check the UHS website, huhs.harvard.edu, for updates and more information.