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Q&A
Council Member Marmorato questions DOHMH on bird flu, COVID-19 funding, and vaccine coverage
1:48:35
ยท
3 min
Council Member Kristy Marmorato engages in a Q&A session with DOHMH Acting Commissioner Michelle Morse and other officials, covering topics such as the bird flu outbreak, food safety measures, COVID-19 vaccine funding, and health insurance coverage for vaccines. The discussion highlights the department's efforts in monitoring health risks and clarifies details about federal funding allocation for COVID-19 related activities.
- DOHMH confirms close monitoring of H5N1 bird flu, emphasizing no current person-to-person transmission
- Clarification provided on federal funding for COVID-19 activities, extending to June 2027 for immunization
- Discussion on the allocation of COVID-19 funding beyond just vaccines, including surveillance and community engagement
Kristy Marmorato
1:48:35
Thank you, chair.
1:48:36
Good afternoon.
Michelle Morse
1:48:36
Good afternoon.
1:48:37
So,
Kristy Marmorato
1:48:38
the bird flu outbreak has impacted poultry supply chains.
1:48:42
What steps are being taken to ensure that food safety in our local grocery stores, restaurants, and markets like in my area in Morris Park are occurring?
Michelle Morse
1:48:52
Thank you for that question.
1:48:54
We are spending quite a bit of our time following h five n one bird flu very, very closely.
1:49:00
This is where our surveillance systems are just critical and super important.
1:49:05
We do work also very closely with the New York State Health Department as well as New York's State Department of Agriculture to make sure that we are sharing information, that we're notified if there are new cases amongst poultry, wild birds, or dairy cattle, although we don't have dairy cattle in New York City.
1:49:24
And so that surveillance work is happening kind of in an invisible way behind the scenes.
1:49:29
The safety of the public is our primary concern in the New York City Health Department.
1:49:34
So please do believe that we are taking all the cases of h five n one, any cases that we see in poultry, in live bird markets, very seriously.
1:49:45
Our role in the health department is to monitor the workers who are exposed to those live bird live bird market H5N1 infected poultry very closely and make sure that they don't develop any additional symptoms.
1:49:58
But the most important thing right now is that there is no person to person transmission of H5N1, and that is very reassuring.
Kristy Marmorato
1:50:07
Okay.
1:50:08
Are there any initiatives or incentives for loss of wages to the employees who would possibly their, place of business is closed, or or at least are you able to direct them to the state agency or figure out a way to help them regain their wages?
Michelle Morse
1:50:24
That does extend beyond our purview.
1:50:28
Although I absolutely understand there's an economic impact of closing live bird markets and doing the disinfecting and and, you know, unfortunately, you know, clearing out the live bird markets.
1:50:41
But that piece is a bit beyond our purview.
1:50:44
We focus on the health of the workers.
Kristy Marmorato
1:50:47
Do you recommend that they look into one of the state agencies for help?
Michelle Morse
1:50:52
I would say that, again, that's that's outside of our purview.
Kristy Marmorato
1:50:55
Okay.
1:50:56
So I I just wanted to kinda clarify something as far as the, COVID nineteen vaccines and the federal funding.
1:51:04
Did you guys say that the federal funding will run out in 2027?
1:51:09
Is that correct?
Michelle Morse
1:51:10
The federal funding for COVID, well, number one, we're thankful that we were able to get an extension to use some of that federal funding, But there are different timelines for when it expires, and I'll I'll pass to our chief financial officer to share more.
Aaron Anderson
1:51:25
Yeah.
1:51:25
Thanks, council member.
1:51:26
I think the one you're referring to is the immunization vax funding, and that has been extended to June of twenty twenty seven.
Kristy Marmorato
1:51:32
Okay.
1:51:32
Considering that we live in a state that you have to have health insurance, so if I go for a COVID vaccine, my health insurance is getting charged.
1:51:43
Where is this funding going to?
1:51:46
Like, I don't understand.
1:51:47
Are we is it is it not covered under our health insurance?
Michelle Morse
1:51:51
A lot of the funding is for a number of different surveillance activities related to COVID as well as activities to do community engagement, community education, and those types of
Stephanie Cannon
1:52:03
So it
Kristy Marmorato
1:52:03
doesn't just go towards the vaccines?
Michelle Morse
1:52:05
It goes towards a number of different Different.
1:52:07
Activities related to COVID prevention and vaccination.
Kristy Marmorato
1:52:10
Okay.
1:52:11
Okay.
1:52:11
Thank you.
1:52:11
Thank you, chair.