I am pleased to present you with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) 2004 Annual Report. Achieving our key public health objectives requires innovation and the cooperation of a dedicated team. Over the past year, VDH has continued to develop valuable community partnerships, helping us to proactively respond to the public health needs of Virginians.

When news broke that British regulators suspended the license of flu vaccine manufacturer Chiron last October, VDH stood to lose about half of the vaccine that it had ordered for the 2004-05 flu season. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coordinated with the only other injectable flu vaccine manufacturer, Aventis-Pasteur, to redirect some of the vaccine the company had not yet distributed to target the vaccine toward people at high-risk of complications from the flu. VDH immediately began to collaborate with each of the local health districts to establish the most effective way to get the vaccine to those at highest risk.

In addition, VDH coordinated public health response to multiple storms and tropical depressions that swept through several Virginia regions during the past hurricane season. VDH also dispatched a public health response team to assist with the operation of shelters in Florida following hurricanes Charley and Frances. The VDH team included 18 public health nurses, two outreach workers and seven support personnel volunteers. The team provided residents direct medical care, basic health and emotional support.

VDH also developed a lead level action plan in response to increased public concerns about elevated levels of lead in drinking water. The plan called for additional statewide sampling for lead in drinking water and also included a study of lead levels at 237 randomly selected child day cares and elementary schools. The study found that lead levels in drinking water at most of these facilities were below the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action level.

In April 2004, VDH created an informational wallet card containing useful emergency preparedness tips and a fill-in-the-blank area to record personal health information necessary for receiving medical services during an emergency. We partnered with Wal-Mart, Giant Food, and Safeway to distribute 1.1 million wallet cards statewide. Virginia was the first state to produce and distribute such a tool.

Our staff has demonstrated an ability to maximize the effectiveness of their programs by reaching out to the community. These partnerships are essential to addressing many of Virginia’s most pressing public health challenges. We are proud of the progress made in 2004 to achieve many of our key objectives. I look forward to another productive year working closely with our partners as we strive toward a healthier Virginia.