Gov. David A. Paterson declared a state of emergency Thursday, in a move intended to combat a rising tide of swine flu in some parts of the state by expanding the ranks of health care professionals who can administer flu vaccines.
In a six-page emergency proclamation, the governor declared “that a disaster has occurred throughout New York State, for which the affected local governments are unable to respond adequately.”
The order is needed to suspend provisions of state law that determine who is authorized to administer vaccinations, and where they may be given.
Citing a shortage of nurses, and the potential for the H1N1 virus to disrupt businesses and schools, the order expands the ranks of those authorized to give the vaccine to physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists with anesthesia certificates, pharmacists, midwives and podiatrists.
They would be permitted to give both the swine flu and the seasonal flu vaccine at state-approved locations after brief training.
The order also allows school-based health centers that serve children to administer flu vaccines to adults, and it ensures that the vaccinations may be given during school hours if necessary.
It also suspends strict rules requiring consent for the vaccine to be recorded in writing, which health care and hospital workers complained had slowed down the administration of the vaccine.
The executive order attributes at least 75 deaths in New York State to swine flu since the virus was first detected last April. Tracking by the State Department of Health suggests that while some areas, like New York City, that had high rates of swine flu in the spring are showing very little sickness during the fall wave, others, like the north, central and western parts of the state, are showing a stronger second wave.
The governor’s order comes on the heels of President Obama’s Oct. 23 declaration of a national emergency, which was required to permit hospital emergency rooms to treat flu patients outside the emergency room, and which was a response to widespread swine flu activity across 46 states.
About 10 million New Yorkers fall into the priority groups — including pregnant women, children, people with chronic health conditions and caretakers of babies — for the vaccine, including 4.3 million in New York City, state health officials said.
Officials said delivery of the vaccine, which has been hampered by manufacturing delays, continues to be slow, with 460,300 doses available so far to the state outside of New York City. New York City has 718,000 doses, city officials said.
Nine other states have already taken or are about to take similar emergency action, New York officials said.
According to US health officials, New York state governor David Paterson has declared a state of emergency in the state as a result of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak.

The Associated Press news agency reports that the six-page declaration was issued because at least 75 people have died of H1N1 related illnesses in New York since April.  Three have died from H1N1 related illnesses just this past week. The declaration also says that human cases of the virus are on the rise.

Paterson says he issued the declaration because "a disaster has occurred throughout New York State, for which the affected local governments are unable to respond adequately."

The declaration will allow health officials more access to the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu shot. It will also allow for an increase in the number of vaccine doses available in the state and will allow more health care facilities to administer the vaccine, including dentists and pharmacists. Schools with health centers will also be allowed to administer both vaccines.

Despite the declaration, officials stressed that there is no reason to worry. A spokeswoman for the New York State Department of Health, Claire Pospisil, said that "it the declaration helps us to be more prepared."

The order came shortly after US president Barack Obama declared a national emergency last Saturday, a response to the spreading of the virus, which has now been circulated in 46 states.