The City of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County are pleased to announce the availability of information to assist the public in preparing for the possibility of pandemic flu in our community. Several pieces of information have already been released to the public. A pamphlet prepared by the Sioux Falls Health Department, “Get Ready” Pandemic Flu, was mailed out with the City of Sioux Falls September utility bills. This pamphlet contains valuable information on how to prevent or minimize the spread of the flu, symptoms of the flu, managing the flu when it strikes in your home, and the supplies that you will need to combat the flu. This pamphlet is also available at numerous public locations.

The Sioux Falls Health Department, with assistance from Minnehaha County and Sioux Falls Emergency Management, has developed a special tool kit to help organizations prepare and deal with the impact posed by pandemic flu. The kit includes a CD with planning tools and information for governments, schools, families and individuals, faith-based groups, long-term care and health care facilities, aviation groups, law enforcement and courts, businesses, and child and day care centers. These tool kits are being sent to all the mayors of the municipalities in Minnehaha County as well as the superintendents for all the school districts within Minnehaha County. 

Additional copies of the pamphlets or the tool kits are available upon request from the City of Sioux Falls Health Department. Electronic copies of this informational material are available for printing from the CD. Paper copies of materials are available as well. Please contact Morris Forsting at 367-8762 or Sandy Frentz at 367-8767 to obtain these materials.

Information contained in the Pandemic Flu Tool Kit is also available online through the City of Sioux Falls Flu Website at http://www.siouxfallsflu.org or through the link contained on the Minnehaha County Website at http://www.minnehahacounty.org.