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Washington Report
December 2007
Death care workers now higher on proposed pandemic flu shot priority list
by ICCFA General Counsel Robert M. Fells, Esq.
The federal government has upgraded the priority of vaccinating funeral directors and other death care providers in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak, according to a newly published draft plan.
The private sector's Mass Fatalities Management Services Subcouncil, which involves a number of national trade associations in the funeral services industry and is co-chaired by NFDA and ICCFA representatives (see November's Washington report), has been urging the federal government to give a high priority to vaccinating funeral providers for pandemic purposes. An original government priority list broke priorities down into 21 categories, with funeral directors included in the last category.
The new draft guidlines, issued in October, proposes dividing the population into five major categories, subdivided according to the severity of the pandemic (severe, moderate, less severe) and into five priority tiers. In the second of the five major categories, Health Care and Community Support Services, "persons providing death care services" are listed under Other Important Health Care Personnel, and placed in tier three of the five tiers for severe and moderate pandemic flu.
The Mass Fatalities Sub-Council will continue to provide input to federal agencies as the planning process moves forward. The draft Guidance proposal can be viewed on the federal government Web site at www.pandemicflu.gov.
Copyright ICCFA 2007
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