* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Middleton
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
Flu Vaccines - Outreach to African Americans and Hispanics
FOR the purpose of urging the Baltimore Health Commissioner to initiate a campaign, in concert with area healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, Baltimore City Public Schools, and senior care-givers, to inform African Americans and Hispanics of the disproportionate dangers of the flu pandemic to their communities and to encourage African Americans and Hispanics to get vaccinated against both the seasonal and H1N1 (swine) flu.
body
Recitals
On September 29, 2009, a 14-year-old African American girl became the State's first young casualty, with no underlying health problems to cause death from swine flu. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Maryland Flu Watch reports that as of October 6, hers was the ninth death from swine flu. There have also been 217 reported influenza hospitalizations from swine flu alone. Predominant influenza strain information shows that type A (H1N1) or swine flu continues to be the predominant strain of influenza in Maryland.
Black America Web's Weekly Insider, October 8, 2009, edition sounded the alarm that "Swine flu's bigger impact on blacks and Hispanics in not being addressed". The report stated that an analysis of the first H1N1-related deaths among U.S. children revealed that half of those deaths between April and August were among African-Americans and Hispanics - considerably more than the percentage of both groups in the population.
The report goes on to charge that while the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) briefly alluded to the problem in a September 4 report, the disproportionate effect on minority populations has been documented by local health departments across the country:
· Boston's Public Health Commission found that 37% of all swine flu cases in that city occurred among blacks, with the black population being only 25% of the general population. Likewise, Hispanics comprise 14% of Boston residents but 1/3rd of all confirmed swine flu cases. 3 out of every 4 people hospitalized for the virus in Boston have been black or Hispanic.
· Chicago's Department of Public Health studied 1,500 lab-confirmed swine flu cases between April and late July and found blacks and Hispanics were 4 times more likely to be hospitalized than whites.
· Oklahoma's Department of Public Health reported in late September that African-American children in the state were being hospitalized for swine flu at 3 times the rate of white children and 2 times the rate of Native American children.
The local health officials who conducted the studies found that while the disparity in the prevalence of swine flu may appear to be based on ethnicity, it is more likely the result of disparities in health conditions among population groups. The kinds of conditions that can lead to more severe reactions to the virus are more prevalent among African and Hispanics - obesity, asthma, and diabetes. Moreover, low income families in urban areas are less likely to have health insurance and more likely to delay seeking treatment until an emergency room visit is necessary.
Although federal health officials have yet to acknowledge the disparity rate of minorities contracting the flu, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases acknowledges there is a need to improve outreach to African Americans to ensure that they get vaccinated for both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu viruses . "About 100 million people, or 1 in 3 get vaccinated", according to the Director of the National Center. "We see lower rates among African -Americans. In adults under the age of 65, there is a 12 percentage point difference. Among black adults at high-risk for exposure to the flu, only one in four is getting vaccinated."
A study, based on estimates from a computer model developed by the CDC, shows the strain hospitals and health departments could face as a second wave of the swine flu surges. Fifteen states could run out of hospital beds, and 12 more could fill 75% of their beds with swine flu sufferers if 35% of Americans catch the virus in the coming weeks as expected.
According to 2008 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, blacks make up 63.6%, and Hispanics and Latinos make up 2.7% of Baltimore City's population. Vaccination against both strains of the flu will not only provide protection for these valued family, friends, neighbors, schoolmates and professional colleagues, it will help to ensure the healthy survival of our entire City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the Baltimore Health Commissioner is urged to initiate a campaign, in concert with area healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, Baltimore City Public Schools, and senior care-givers, to inform African Americans and Hispanics of the disproportionate dangers of the flu pandemic to their communities and to encourage African Americans and Hispanics to get vaccinated against both the seasonal and H1N1 (swine) flu.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the Baltimore Health Commissioner, the President of the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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