Putnam’s Top Doc: Don’t Panic

Putnam Commissioner of Health Dr. Sherlita Amler has urged the public not to panic in the wake of Gov. David Paterson’s State of Emergency declaration over swine flu.

Dr. Amler told the PCN&R the executive order allows the governor to “loosen some restrictions that might hinder a county’s ability to provide vaccine to the public.”

Due to the declaration, health professionals such as dentists, podiatrists, midwives, and nurse practitioners are now permitted to administer inoculations against the H1N1 strain of influenza.

Dr. Amler said no H1N1 flu-related deaths had been reported in Putnam County. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 5.7 million Americans have been infected with swine flu during the first few months of the pandemic.

­— Eric Gross