Should local public health be stockpiling N95 respirators? What kind of PPE is needed by local public health staff?
LPH agencies are encouraged to work closely with their regional HRSA planners to determine the need for stockpiling. To determine the possible need for PPE, LPH should consider what role/s their staff might play during a pandemic. LPH staff who might reasonably be expected to have direct contact with infectious persons (e.g., staff who may make home visits to infectious patients to provide care) should be fit tested and agencies should have access to PPE, including respirators, for these persons. PPE recommendations would be the same as for other HCWs in direct contact with infectious patients. Respirators would not be typically used at mass vaccination clinics, other than possibly for personnel working with ill people who have been triaged at entry.
Related Questions
- Should local public health be stockpiling N95 respirators? What kind of PPE is needed by local public health staff?
- Should local public health agencies purchase supplies of respirators or masks for use by the general public?
- What rules and regulations guide PPE policy development for local public health departments?
