News Search

Flu season starts with base exercise Oct. 21

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  The 52nd Aerospace Medical Squadron will conduct a medical exercise Oct. 21 to demonstrate the wing's capability to service the base population in the event of a disease threat or outbreak as efficiently as possible.

The intent of the Public Health Emergency Working Group is to demonstrate the ability to execute a full-scale point of distribution while simultaneously issuing real-world flu vaccinations to the active-duty and dependent or beneficiary civilian populations.

"The disease containment plan is a base-wide exercise that agencies all across base have a role," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Patrick Ditullio, 52nd Medical Support Squadron pharmacy flight commander. "It evaluates the base's ability to respond to a public health emergency and contain it the best we can, whether that be a virus or a terrorist using weaponized small pox."

The point of distribution portion of the exercise will deliver the influenza vaccine to as many active duty members as possible in one day.

"We really want to vaccinate at least 90 percent of the available active duty here during the exercise" Ditullio said. "What that does is it creates heard immunity so even those who do not get the vaccine right away, they are still protected because the disease has a much harder time taking hold in the area."

The Influenza vaccine is administered every year with the flu mist or an injectable shot.

"The influenza vaccine is important because every year the strain changes, it mutates," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jaryl Burjoss, 52nd Medical Operations Squadron allergy immunization technician, "Every season we get a new vaccine in order to protect the base population."

The vaccines the Spangdahlem community receives help protect an individual from two types of flu strains, A and B.

"The flu mist is a live virus vaccine and can give you a fever, body aches, chills, cough or sore throat. It doesn't mean you are sick or contagious, it just means your body is responding the way it's supposed to respond by creating those anti-bodies." Burjoss said.

Burjoss added that the exercise helps her team greatly; because they are a two-person shop treating more than 5,000 active duty members and their dependents. Being able to take one day and vaccinate the active duty population and community ensures base members remain healthy. 

For more information about the exercise, contact the base clinic at 452-8333.