Corrections Officials, Law Enforcement Ponder H1N1 Outbreak

H1N1 In Prisons (Added: October 29, 2009)

Could prisoners receive the highly-sought after H1N1 flu shot before the rest of the public? (more)

0 Ratings | 0 Video Views

By: Mike Bowersock | NBC4i.com
Published: October 29, 2009

LANCASTER, Ohio -- An outbreak of H1N1 inside a jail or prison has those in charge of watching over prisoners wondering what to do.

At the Fairfield County Jail in Lancaster, Sgt. Rick Sanders keeps a bottle of bleach and two separate cleaners with him to constantly disinfect.

At the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, officials have not received any vaccinations for H1N1 yet, but they have them ordered for 70 pregnant female inmates in the system.

Health care workers and corrections officers who work with sick inmates will also be among the first to get the vaccines.

Prisons at the state level have pandemic plans in place, but the counties may not.

Around the nation, a fury has erupted over the premise that inmates may be receiving vaccinations before the general public.

"We have the perfect storm for something that could be very difficult to maintain," said Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen. "We have never had anything like this -- an H1N1-type virus -- that could enter into a closed facility where we have a situation where we have overcrowding."

So far, there are no reported cases of H1N1 in the state prison system nor at the county level.

The fact that they're isolated from the outside could have protected prison populations, but their close community could also make a disease spread rapidly.

For additional information, stay with nbc4i.com and NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail us at stories@nbc4i.com.
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video