Mackler Niklas, Wilkerson William, Cinti Sandro
Ann Arbor Hematology Associates PC, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
Disaster Manag Response. 2007 Apr-Jun;5(2):45-8. doi: 10.1016/j.dmr.2007.02.002.
The presence of H5N1 influenza in Southeast Asia has reawakened fears of a worldwide influenza pandemic of the sort that occurred in 1918. It is estimated that up to 1.9 million people in the United States could die if such an outbreak occurs. It is unlikely that a vaccine for a pandemic strain will be available quickly enough to protect first-responders. Similar concerns existed in 2002 when the United States attempted to vaccinate first-responders against smallpox, a potential biologic weapon.
We conducted a survey of one group of first-responders, paramedics, to determine if fear of infection would compromise their ability to care for persons potentially infected with smallpox.
Three hundred paramedics were given the survey, and 95 (32%) responded. More than 80% of paramedics polled would not remain on duty if there were no vaccine and no protective gear. Even if protective gear was available but the vaccine was unavailable, only 39% of respondents would remain on duty. Finally, although 91% of paramedics would remain on duty if they were fully protected, this number falls to 38% if the respondent believed that his or her immediate family was not protected. The results of this survey are relevant to current concerns about an influenza pandemic. Every effort must be made to protect first-responders from pandemic influenza and educate them about it.
东南亚出现的H5N1流感再度引发了人们对类似1918年那种全球流感大流行的恐惧。据估计，如果发生这样的疫情，美国可能有多达190万人死亡。大流行毒株的疫苗不太可能足够快地研制出来以保护急救人员。2002年美国试图为急救人员接种针对天花（一种潜在的生物武器）的疫苗时也存在类似担忧。
我们对一组急救人员——护理人员进行了一项调查，以确定对感染的恐惧是否会影响他们护理可能感染天花人员的能力。
向300名护理人员发放了调查问卷，95人（32%）做出了回应。超过80%接受调查的护理人员表示，如果没有疫苗且没有防护装备，他们不会继续执勤。即使有防护装备但没有疫苗，只有39%的受访者会继续执勤。最后，尽管91%的护理人员在得到充分保护时会继续执勤，但如果受访者认为其直系亲属没有得到保护，这一比例会降至38%。这项调查的结果与当前对流感大流行的担忧相关。必须尽一切努力保护急救人员免受大流行性流感感染，并对他们进行相关教育。
