To be fully prepared for the potential threat of a public health emergency such as an anthrax exposure, hepatitis outbreak, pandemic flu or other public health emergency, the Jericho School District is coordinating its efforts with the Nassau County Department of Health. Part of these extensive emergency preparations includes the creation of a Point of Dispensing (POD) site at the Jericho Middle/High School complex.

The Jericho School District has been working in collaboration with the Health Department for many months to design an emergency POD plan. POD site planning has been on the minds of local officials, even prior to avian flu virus becoming a palpable threat. In fact, POD sites have been developed nationwide to deal with naturally occurring diseases and viruses, as well as bio-terrorist attacks.

POD sites are local emergency vaccination clinics with ready access to a large stockpile of vaccines and medicines designed to prevent the spread of epidemics. A local POD site at the Jericho School District would constitute an alternative to driving to a large and possibly inconvenient venue such as Nassau Community College.

While POD centers are normally operated by local health departments, the Nassau County Department of Health has requested that local villages, municipalities and school districts start their own POD sites in order to deliver necessary medication more quickly in the event of an actual emergency.

Once an emergency has been recognized, the State Department of Health would immediately request medication, such as vaccines or antibiotics from the U.S. Government. The state would then deliver the stockpiles to county health officials, who would, in turn, distribute supplies to local officials and residents. The entire process has been streamlined for maximum efficiency.

Anyone interested in volunteering for this important Jericho School District community initiative, please contact Dr. Ben Ciuffo at 203-3600, extension 3204. Once a list has been established, volunteers will complete a two-hour POD training program conducted by the Nassau County Department of Health.