Well, I'm certainly real proud to hear that we're ready and of the wonderful work of the Health Department. You're to be congratulated, Doctor, on the wonderful work you're doing. And it gives us a lot of comfort to know that you all are on it. And thanks to you and Dr. Schwarz and all the staff. And we thank you.
Could I respond to one of the questions that's on your list?
I wanted to reinforce the comments made earlier about the thimerosol content and a concern about that being used in children and to reinforce that it is only in the 91 10/28/09 - HEALTH/HUMAN SVCS. - Res. 090363 (indiscernible); and even then, in moderate and large amounts. The childhood vaccine, the single-dose syringes, hopefully will become available soon. But until then, my biggest fear is that children and others that really should be receiving the H1N1 vaccine are not doing so because of unfounded fears. While this has been a relatively mild disease so far -- and hopefully it will stay that way. When we know that over a thousand people have died nationally from this disease already, it is -- there are many deaths that are preventable by use of the vaccine. And to let a theoretical concern of thimerosol, which has been removed from all other vaccines, so the total amount, going back to the earlier question, as to what are those childhood vaccines? None of them contain thimerosol anymore. Once we get rid of the eggs as our way of making the vaccine, the thimerosol will go 92 10/28/09 - HEALTH/HUMAN SVCS. - Res. 090363 away as well. But given the risks of not getting the vaccine versus the theoretical risk of thimerosol, children should be vaccinated with this vaccine even if that thimerosol is present.
Thank you. Thank you, Miss McGinty, over there. And thank you all who have come in support of folks as well.
We appreciate your time and thank you. Sorry for the delay, but it's been well worthwhile. Certainly I've learned a lot, which helps us pass on information to our constituents. And I guess my question is: How can we -- not how can we. Should we be encouraging our constituents, particularly that vulnerable group, to go and get the vaccine?
By all means. 93 10/28/09 - HEALTH/HUMAN SVCS. - Res. 090363 And at the same time, I hope that they understand that we have to prioritize who is at greatest risk.
So that those that are maybe not in the highest risk group, such as our college students, while they're a priority group, we haven't seen as much infection, especially severe infection, of them. So I'm perfectly content to say they should wait until all pregnant women and small children receive the vaccine. And then once all those priority groups are vaccinated, then everybody else should still consider receiving the H1N1 vaccine as well as the seasonal vaccine, once we have it again.
Okay. Thank you so much for your time and information. Is there anyone else here to testify on this resolution? (No response.) 94 10/28/09 - HEALTH/HUMAN SVCS. - Res. 090363
We want to thank you for coming. Dr. Johnson, thank you so much for your leadership and the hard work you do at the Health Department and thank Dr. Schwarz for us. We appreciate it. He said he was ready; he had told me earlier. But we wanted it on the public record. And Councilwoman Blackwell was on it very, very early -- I think the moment it hit Mexico. So we're very pleased. Thank you so much. (Proceedings end at 3:20 p.m.) * * * 95 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings of the City of Philadelphia Council Committee on Public Health and Human Services are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me on Wednesday, October 28, 2009, and that this is a true and correct statement of same. __________________________________ JOSEPHINE CARDILLO Registered Professional Reporter (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)