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Peoria County schedules H1N1 flu clinics
2009-10-20 | Tag：H1N1 virus flu Vaccinations clinics
PEORIA —After several weeks of H1N1 flu prevention outreach, the Peoria City/County Health Department is now turning attention to a public vaccination campaign, with the first clinic scheduled Friday.
The vaccine hasn't yet arrived, but health officials cautiously scheduled clinics to respond to heightened public concern about availability. The first clinics will be restricted to pregnant women and those who have contact with infants younger than 6 months old.
"The spigot is (open just) a trickle in terms of the vaccine being pushed out from the manufacturer," health department Administrator Greg Chance said Monday, adding federal officials expect to distribute 29 million doses across the nation this month - half of what was originally projected.
"You are going to see lines. You are going to see upset people, but that's going to come with the territory. This is definitely going to have an impact on the health department's ability to conduct daily operations."
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Hospitals Restrict Visitors to Combat H1N1
2009-10-20 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations hospitals WHO
Some Vermont hospitals are restricting visitors in an attempt to keep already compromised patients from contracting swine flu.
Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Rutland Regional Medical Center, Central Vermont Hospital in Berlin, Copley Hospital in Morrisville and North Country Hospital in Newport are restricting access by visitors to some parts of their hospitals.
"We're restricting visitors in targeted areas, high-risk areas," including intensive-care, inpatient children's, labor and delivery and postpartum units, said Dawn LeBaron, vice president for hospital services at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.
The Rutland hospital is taking steps to ensure a visitor to someone with swine flu, also known as the new H1N1 virus, doesn't spread it to other parts of the hospital.
Special Report: H1N1 Virus
60 Minutes: H1N1 Most Dangerous to Young People
"Visitors should wear surgical mask, gloves, and gown when entering room," says a policy issued recently by the Rutland hospital.
At Central Vermont Hospital, Alison White, chief nursing officer and vice president for quality, said restrictions on visitors are expected to remain in place for months. -
H1N1 Confirmed In Minnesota Pig
2009-10-20 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews pig Minnesota flu
The U-S has its first case of H1N1 in swine.The USDA announces today that the new strain of influenza has been found in a pig from Minnesota.Fox Mankato's Ryan Gustafson has more.With the discovery of the H1N1 virus in a Minnesota pig, officials are looking at their next steps in preventing the disease from spreading further.David Preisler says, "One of the things farmers have been doing now is to make sure the people, whether it's employees or family members going out to the farm sites or barns - to make sure that they're health."The positive test comes from a show pig at the Minnesota State Fair two months ago.Officials say the animal likely contracted the virus from one of the fair's 1.8 million visitors.Ag officials worry that H1N1 could spread into the commercial pork industry, though the effects of the virus in countries where pig populations are already infected appears to be rather tame, much like the virus' effect on humans.David Preisler says, "The impact is pretty similar within pigs. They may go off feed, not feel well, have a fever, a cough - and generally within a week or so, most cases a few days, they recover."And officials continue to stress that eating pork has nothing to do with H1N1.Beth Thompson says, "Pork is safe to eat. You can look at what the department of health has put forward and basically this disease is a human disease that's being spread amongst humans."The discovery of H1N1 in swine will be reported to the International Animal Health Organization.Pig infections have already been reported in Canada, Australia, Argentina, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Norway.Ryan Gustafson, The Fox Mankato News At Nine.
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James Returns After Flu Bout
2009-10-16 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews flu LeBron James
LeBron James didn't get any sympathy from his teammates when he came back to work Thursday after spending two days sick in bed.
"You come back around and everyone is like, 'Ugh, you got the cooties,' " James said. "They don't want to be around you."
James and two Cleveland Cavaliers teammates have tested positive for influenza A, and are being treated as if they have the H1N1 virus by the Cavaliers, who are being proactive in dealing with a flu bug that already has sickened six players.
H1N1, also known as swine flu, is a strain of influenza A, and though the Cavaliers have not gotten back H1N1 test results on James, Darnell Jackson or Coby Karl, the team is treating all its players and staff traveling for games this weekend in Texas with medication to fight the virus.
"We feel very comfortable and confident that what we are doing is an appropriate course of action," Cavs spokesman Tad Carper said. GOLF
No Stop in Milwaukee?
The organization that handles the annual PGA Tour stop in Milwaukee is dissolving after failing to find a sponsor, leaving the future of professional golf in the area on shaky ground.
The move virtually guarantees the tour won't return to Milwaukee next year. Tournament director Dan Croak said the organization has run out of money after paying its bills and other financial obligations, including a donation of more than $520,000 to charities.
"We have run out of funds and, thus, cannot continue to operate," Croak said in a statement. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the organizers' decision to dissolve.
The tournament, originally known as the Greater Milwaukee Open, has been in operation since 1968. Among its notable moments was Tiger Woods's professional debut in 1996
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H1N1 Vaccine Shortage, Springs Clinics Canceled
2009-10-16 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations WHO death
COLORADO SPRINGS - The El Paso County Department of Health and Environment is receiving much less H1N1 vaccine than previously anticipated from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This means the community vaccination clinics that were planned Oct. 26, 27, 28, 29 and Nov. 6 are canceled.The initial supply of H1N1 vaccine received in El Paso County was made available to hospitals last week, representing 6,100 nasal spray doses. The nasal spray vaccine is licensed for healthy people age 2 through 49 who are not pregnant. Over the next two weeks, possibly 14,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine are expected. These supplies are less than half of what was originally anticipated to be received in El Paso County. Vaccine will be in different forms including nasal spray and injectable. Organizations that either employ or serve those identified as being at the highest-risk for H1N1 infections/complications will receive these limited supplies of vaccine in El Paso County. H1N1 vaccination is voluntary and will be provided to high-risk groups first, based on CDC scientific analysis of disease activity and vaccine availability.
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Pregnant Teenager Dies After Contracting H1N1
2009-10-16 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews pregnant teenager death
A pregnant teenager has died after contracting the H1N1 flu.
The 17-year-old, who was from the Scottish Borders in Scotland, has not yet been named.
When she contracted influenza A (H1N1), she was already pregnant, which makes women more likely to face difficulties related to the virus.
Following the death, Scotland's Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon urged all pregnant women to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their babies.
Full Coverage H1N1: Click here
She said: "The death of this young mother-to-be and her baby is deeply saddening and my thoughts are with her family and friends.
"Medical experts have been telling us that pregnant women are more vulnerable to developing complications after contracting the virus. For this reason, they will be among the priority groups for vaccination when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available later this month."
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Vigilance essential, doctors tell parents
2009-10-13 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews flu WHO Vaccinations
Three days later, the Antioch, Tenn., boy was dead, apparently from swine flu.
At least 76 American children have died from the new virus, and doctors are urging parents to watch for warning signs that the flu has become life-threatening.
Ruth Gomez says Max developed dangerous symptoms - bluish fingers and extreme fatigue after seeming to get better - just one day before he died. She took him to the doctor, but it was too late.
“We were in shock,’’ said Gomez, who is still trying to understand the death of her little on Aug. 31. “There are so many unanswered questions.’’
It is a question on other parents’ minds, too: How can they protect their children from swine flu until the vaccine is widely available?
Swine flu has probably infected hundreds of thousands of youngsters nationwide, but deaths among children are rare. Health officials are keeping track of children’s flu deaths, but they say it is impossible to count all flu cases. So they don’t know what percentage of children’s infections are fatal.
Many specialists say the H1N1 virus does not appear to be more dangerous than other flu strains, but children have been catching it more easily than seasonal flu.
Last week there were 19 reports of children who died, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the 76 swine flu fatalities since April compare with 68 pediatric deaths from seasonal flu since September 2008.
Because children seem so vulnerable to it, “every medical epidemiologist in the country’’ is tracking how it affects them, said Dr. Susan Gerber, an associate medical officer for the public health department in Cook County, Ill.
Most children will recover, but “it’s still very concerning and needs to be watched very closely’’ Gerber said.
Dr. Kenneth Alexander, the University of Chicago’s pediatric infectious disease chief, said there are common signs to indicate when both kinds of flu turn dangerous.
Flu viruses can damage cilia, the hair-like fibers lining the respiratory tract that move bacteria and mucous “where we can cough them out’’ of the lungs, he explained.
That can make people susceptible to pneumonia and other bacterial infections - a scenario blamed for many flu deaths in otherwise healthy children and adults, he said. In these cases, flu patients often appear to get better, but then fever and a cough return. Authorities urge parents to seek immediate help if emergency warning signs develop. In children, these are:
■ Fast or troubled breathing; bluish skin color; lack of thirst.
■ Failure to wake up easily or interact; irritability so that the child does not want to be held.
■ Improvement of symptoms, then a return to fever and worse cough; fever with a rash.
A recent report from the CDC found that one-third of pediatric deaths from the H1N1 virus were in children like Max, with no known underlying condition that would put them at risk
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H1N1 vaccine has come to Jamestown
2009-10-13 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations flu WHO
The first doses of the H1N1 vaccine have arrived in Jamestown —but don’t start rolling up your sleeve for a shot.
This batch of vaccine for H1N1, sometimes referred to as the swine flu, is a nasal inhalant and is reserved for health care professionals.
“The Central Valley Health District received 50 doses along with other health care providers,” said Robin Iszler, registered nurse and administrator of CVHD. “This batch is limited to health care providers but the next batch of vaccine is expected later this week and is dedicated to pregnant women and children ages 6 months to 18 years.”
The next batch will also be an injectable vaccine, she said.
“The inhalant or mist vaccine is meant for healthy people from 2 years of age to 49,” Iszler said. “The injectable vaccine that comes in the next batch will be for wider age groups and conditions.”
Iszler said CVHD is anticipating weekly shipments of H1N1 vaccine. Each shipment will be dedicated to a high priority group until all those groups are vaccinated. At that time the vaccine will be made available to the public.
“It depends on the rate the vaccine is sent out,” Iszler said. “We have no time frame for when we will hold vaccination clinics for the general public.”
As of Oct. 6, Stutsman County had a total of 27 confirmed influenza cases with 22 being the type A seasonal flu and five being H1N1. In North Dakota there have been a total of 285 flu cases with 59 being H1N1.
There is no charge for the H1N1 vaccine if administered by CVHD. If the vaccine is administered by other health care providers, they can charge an administrative fee.
Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at
(701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at
knorman@jamestownsun.com
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Some H1N1 Flu Patients Need Special Treatment
2009-10-13 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews flu Vaccinations treatment
(Chicago, IL) -- H1N1 flu patients who are hospitalized tend to decline quickly and require special treatment.
A new report says those needs quickly stress resources of hospitals.
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine scientist Doug White says previously healthy H1N1 patients who develop "very rapid, very severe" respiratory failure require hospitals to be prepared to care for them.
The researcher noted that relatively mild outbreaks in Canada and Mexico required huge amounts of treatment.
White said some patients might not get the care they need if a severe wave of H1N1 flu washes across the U.S.
Results of the study are published in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."
(Copyright 2009 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions) -
H1N1 diagnosis may not be conclusive
2009-10-10 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews diagnosis flu WHO
If you come down with a nasty cough, a fever over 100 and other flulike symptoms this fall, do you have the new 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus or the regular, get-it-every-year seasonal flu?
Your doctor might take a culture, but, chances are, you might never know the results.
If you're not part of a group that's traditionally considered at high risk for flu complications, such as those with chronic respiratory illness or the immune-compromised, it's unlikely your doctor will need to determine which specific virus is making you sick.
Knowing what you have isn't likely to make a difference in how you will be treated, anyway.
The reason for this judicious use of diagnostic testing is twofold, said Andrew Pekosz, associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
One, obtaining a conclusive identification of 2009 H1N1 is labor-intensive and capabilities for doing so are limited. And two, testing priority must be given to high-risk groups and those who are seriously ill, because in those cases a definitive diagnosis may help pinpoint the appropriate medication
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Flu scare fills hospitals, clinics
2009-10-10 | Tag：googlenews H1N1 flu hospital WHO
As winter approaches, state and local health care providers are taking steps to ensure the "typical" flu season remains just that — typical.
With nine confirmed H1N1-related deaths within the Land of Enchantment this year, prevention and education efforts remain a top priority.
The deaths — the most recent of which occurred in late September and was announced Wednesday, Oct. 7 — have seen concerned New Mexicans flock to hospitals and clinics in large numbers.
Health care officials, however, say that's not the best course of action.
"Several hospitals in New Mexico have reported to the Department of Health that they are seeing increased activity of people coming to the hospital with flu symptoms," a DOH release reads. "Some of these people do not need to visit a clinic or emergency room and should stay home until 24 hours after their fever has subsided."
One of the biggest challenges, officials say, is managing limited medical resources.
"We have to all work together to minimize the spread of the disease and manage our medical resources in the best way possible so we can care for those most at risk for serious complications," Health Secretary Dr. Alfredo Vigil, said in the release.
To that end, the DOH has specific recommendations as flu season picks up steam.
• People who are experiencing typical, mild symptoms of influenza and are not at higher risk for flu complications should stay home and avoid public places until they are well. Typical, mild symptoms include fever, sore throat and cough.
• People who are experiencing typical, mild symptoms of influenza and are at higher risk for complications should call their health care provider or the nurse advice line for consideration for treatment with antiviral medications.
• People who develop severe symptoms of influenza should seek care immediately from their health care provider or the emergency room. Severe symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, dehydration or decreased responsiveness.
Although some of the state's H1N1 deaths struck individuals who had no apparent underlying health conditions, DOH officials contend that those who are at a higher risk for contracting the both the seasonal and the more worrisome H1N1 flus include: children under the age of 2, adults 65 and older, persons with chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neurologic, neuromuscular or metabolic disorders, the immunosuppressed, pregnant women, and residents of nursing home and other chronic care facilities.
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Germany records first death from H1N1 flu virus
2009-10-08 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations Germany death
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has recorded its first known death from the H1N1 swine flu virus, a hospital in the western city of Essen said Thursday.
Researchers said post-mortem tests on a 36-year-old woman who died on September 25 confirmed the virus as the cause.
A hospital spokesman and the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said the death was the country's first from H1N1.
(Reporting by Nikola Rotscheroth; writing by Erik Kirschbaum)
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H1N1 vaccine is safe, secure, Sebelius reassures parents
2009-10-08 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations flu parents
As some wait eagerly for the first deliveries of the H1N1 flu vaccine, others worry if it’s safe and wonder if it’s needed.
Enough that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew Wednesday for widespread inoculation against so-called swine flu.
More than a third of parents say they don’t want their kids vaccinated, according to the latest Associated Press-Gfk poll. Among the reasons given: The vaccine’s too new, and the new flu isn’t that dangerous
Calling the vaccine “safe and secure,” Sebelius unconditionally vouched for it on morning news shows, saying it “has been made exactly the same way seasonal vaccine has been made, year in and year out.”
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Areas Hit Hard by Swine Flu in Spring See Little Now
2009-10-08 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations WHO flu
While concern over the spread of the H1N1 virus sweeps the country, epidemiologists in New York and a few other cities that were awash in swine flu last spring are detecting very little evidence of a resurgence.
Although flu season will not peak until the weather gets cold, in New York, which was the nation’s hardest-hit city, officials say that flu activity is no higher than it normally is at this time of year and that school attendance is normal.
Last week, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the director of immunization at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “Most states do have quite a lot of disease right now, and that’s unusual for this time of year.”
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China reports first death from H1N1 flu
2009-10-06 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations China death
BEIJING, Oct 6 (Reuters) - China on Tuesday reported its first death from the H1N1 flu strain after weeks on alert against the disease.
The victim, who died on Sunday, was an 18-year-old woman from the Tibetan autonomous region, who had been admitted to hospital the previous day complaining of a sore throat, cough and aches, the official Xinhua agency said.
The Health Ministry confirmed the death, but declined to comment further.
The government has reported the death to the World Health Organisation and is now rushing 200,000 doses of vaccine to remote areas, state media said.
Health Minister Chen Zhu warned last month that China faced a grim situation in containing the disease as schools start up again and the number of cases rises. [ID:nPEK102128].
The government said at the end of September that there had been nearly 20,000 reported cases of the disease across the country, but over 14,000 had fully recovered and only 10 were seriously ill.
There are already strict checks at border crossings and many places where crowds gather like karaoke parlours, and the government began a mass vaccination programme in late September, starting with around 100,000 students in Beijing.
Zhu said at the time that the government aimed to produce 26 million doses of vaccine by the end of October, and 65 million doses by the end of 2009.
Public service providers and vulnerable groups in densely populated cities and travel hubs would have priority, he added.
China's Sinovac (SVA.A) reported last month that its vaccine protected patients with a single dose [ID:nPEK368343]. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie) -
WHO says H1N1 vaccine safe, urges mass take-up
2009-10-06 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations WHO flu
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) restated its confidence in the H1N1 flu vaccine on Tuesday, calling it the most important tool against the pandemic.
Mild adverse side effects such as muscle cramps or headache are to be expected in some cases, but everyone who has access to the vaccine should be inoculated, it said.
Mass vaccination campaigns against the swine flu virus are underway in China and Australia and will be starting soon in the United States and parts of Europe, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.
"It is important to remember that the vaccines, which have already been approved, have been used for years and years and years in their seasonal vaccine formulation and have been shown to be among the safest vaccines that exist," he told a news briefing.
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Share H1N1 Vaccines With Poor Countries, U.N. Urges
2009-10-06 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews WHO Vaccinations UN
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Rich countries should make more vaccine available to poorer nations where the H1N1 virus is starting to hit, U.N. health officials said on Sunday.
They said increased readiness for swine flu was needed in developing countries with weaker medical systems and with large, young populations, who are most vulnerable to the disease.
"We may well see a different pattern of impact once this virus starts to take off and those explosive outbreaks occur in some of the poorer communities in the world," said Julie Hall, an infections disease expert at the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency.
The WHO, which declared H1N1 a global pandemic in June, says a third of the world's population of nearly 7 billion people could catch it.
Some countries, such as the United States, Brazil and France, have agreed to make 10 percent of their national vaccine stockpile available to developing countries. Manufacturers have also donated about 150 million doses of vaccine.
More is needed, said David Nabarro, the U.N. coordinator for fighting new emerging flu varieties.
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A primer for parents on H1N1 symptoms
2009-10-04 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations parents WHO
Parents, here's what you need to know about H1N1.
If your child is sick with flu-like symptoms – fever, body aches, coughing – they almost certainly have what is commonly known as swine flu.
Don't panic. The virus is no more dangerous than regular flu.
But after a couple days, if your child isn't feeling better – if his fever spikes or he's having trouble breathing – don't delay. Take him to a doctor immediately.
Jeffrey Kahn, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's Medical Center Dallas, said a rebounding illness may suggest a dangerous, underlying bacterial infection such as pneumonia.
"If your child has flu and is improving, and two or three days into the illness they begin having problems again, that should be a warning sign to take your child back for medical evaluation," he said.
"For some reason, influenza sets some people up for these bacterial super-infections."
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H1N1 vaccine expected to arrive soon
2009-10-04 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations WHO flu
SPRIINGFIELD, Ohio (WDTN) - The Clark county health department is gearing up for mass H1N1 vaccine clinics. Health officials said they expected the vaccine to arrive very soon.
Health officials wanted residents to know, the H1N1 flu had arrived. Cases of the flu are being seen both in Clark County, and throughout the Miami Valley. Officials said they were seeing an increase in influenza like symptoms, and majority of the cases tested by the Centers for Disease Control were the H1N1 strain.
The H1N1 vaccine was expected to arrive in a series of small shipments in Clark County very soon. As soon as it did, health officials said, they would hold a mass clinic at the Clark County Fairgrounds on a Tuesday. Smaller clinics will be held throughout the county at a later date.
The first target group recommended to get the vaccine included people who live or work with infants younger than 6 months old. health care and emergency medical services personnel, children between 6 months to 4 years old, those between 5 to 18 years old with medical conditions that put them at risk for the flu, and women who were pregnant.
Clark county officials asked volunteers who will help with distributing the H1N1 vaccine, to report to the Volunteer Reception Center at the Heritage Center on West Fountain Avenue, to complete their certification and orientation.
The Clark County Health Department was holding a town hall meeting this tuesday, October 6th, at City Hall in downtown Springfield, to educate people about the swine flu and the regular flu. The meeting starts at 6 pm.
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Taiwan's serious A/H1N1 flu cases total exceed 300
2009-10-01 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews flu Taiwan WHO
TAIPEI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan Wednesday reported seven new patients suffering from A/H1N1 influenza had been sent to hospital, bringing the island's serious cases total to 305, local epidemic control authorities said.
So far, the virus has claimed 18 lives on the island, and 257 people have been discharged from hospital, the authorities said.
Yang Zhiliang, head of Taiwan's health authority, said Wednesday the locally produced A/H1N1 flu vaccines were still undergoing trials.
An inoculation program of 15 million doses of A/H1N1 flu vaccines was scheduled to be launched in November and the vaccines would be offered to the public free, he said.
Special Report: World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu
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Pregnant mom's H1N1 exposure can harm baby
2009-10-01 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations pregnant WHO
The sons of mothers who were pregnant and exposed to a strain of the H1N1 virus during the 1918 flu pandemic were more likely to have lifetime health problems, new research reveals, suggesting that even a mild case of the flu during pregnancy can have long-term affects on a baby.
The 1918-1919 flu pandemic infected one-third of Americans, killing about 0.6 percent of the population, notes the University of Southern California study, published Thursday in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease .
The flu tended to be mild, causing a three-day fever. Most deaths were caused by secondary bacterial infections. But the flu's health effects, researchers now know, were far-reaching.
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H1N1 Flu Vaccine: What You Need to Know
2009-10-01 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations flu WHO
For months we’ve have been waiting for the H1N1 vaccine to arrive in the U.S. – and now it looks like that wait is almost over. The new vaccine should be in some doctors' offices as early as Monday, according to U.S. health officials.
But even though we’ve had weeks upon weeks to think about the new vaccine, many of us still have questions. So, FOXNews.com sought out the advice a few health experts to help us sort through all of this.
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Why We All Need to Worry About the H1N1 Flu
2009-09-29 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews flu worry WHO
It seems like it was just a couple of months ago that the mere mention of the H1N1 flu (that was quickly spreading world-wide) evoked feelings of panic. There was widespread concern that this flu bug would become a severe problem, possibly rivaling the 1918 pandemic. Since then, it's become apparent that most healthy people that contract the H1N1 virus experience a non life-threatening, self-limited illness; the effect has been to allow us all to breathe collective sigh of relief.
While it is true that most healthy people that come down with H1N1 are not going to be in grave danger, it seems to me that at least some young people have swung too far toward an attitude of complacency. This point was brought home to me by a brief interview of a returning UW student that I saw on the news last night. The gist of what this student said was that she was not really all that concerned about H1N1, and hadn't taken any special precautions so far (I'm not sure what she we referring to here).
As just mentioned, healthy people usually do not suffer any life-threatening complications from H1N1, and I can see why many young people might not feel very threatened by it. It's entirely understandable that a young, healthy person in their late teens or early twenties would not be overly concerned about the consequences of coming down with H1N1 in light of this. I get it. But there's a larger picture here that some people appear to be forgetting.
For instance, suppose that this young woman on the news last night develops a mild cough in the next couple of days, and doesn't get diagnosed with H1N1 until a day or so after that, when she is clearly sick. Now suppose that this same young woman's roommate happens to have asthma (which may be entirely unknown to the woman in question) and catches H1N1 from her healthier roommate. What then?
I'll tell you. This young woman's roommate that has asthma faces the very real danger of a severe, life-threatening illness. She most certainly would be hospitalized, and might wind up in the ICU, or worse.
So if you are one of those young people that "isn't worried" about coming down with H1N1 that's OK as far as your own health goes. But please DO be concerned about those around you that might be exposed because of your lack of concern, and DO take precautions (such as hand washing/sanitizing, getting the vaccine). You just might wind up saving a friend's life.
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State releases few details on H1N1 flu cases, deaths
2009-09-29 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews death Vaccinations flu
Iowa health authorities are being relatively secretive about H1N1 cases, including two new deaths they announced Monday.
The Iowa Department of Public Health described the victims as "adult males" from eastern Iowa. But it wouldn't say which counties the men were from, and it released few details about how old they were, when they died or why they might have been susceptible to complications from the disease.Several neighboring states are more forthcoming. For example, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin report which counties or towns flu victims are from, and all but Wisconsin give more specific age ranges than Iowa makes public.
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Swine flu: Don't expect 'vaccine cops' to enforce H1N1 priority list
2009-09-29 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations flu WHO
When the first shipments of swine flu vaccine begin arriving in coming weeks, federal officials want only people on priority lists to line up for the first 45 million doses, but there won't be "vaccine police" enforcing it.
The vaccines will be distributed to 90,000 health providers, including hospitals, clinics, medical offices and pharmacies. Each will sign an agreement to vaccinate only people in five groups most at risk -- pregnant women, caretakers of infants younger than 6 months, children and young people from 6 months to 24 years old, health care workers and people 25 to 64 years old with serious underlying health problems. -
WHO probes study seasonal shot may raise H1N1 risk
2009-09-28 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews WHO seasonal Vaccinations
GENEVA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation said on Thursday it was looking into an unpublished Canadian study indicating that a seasonal flu shot could increase the risk of catching the H1N1 virus.
Marie-Paule Kieny, director of the WHO's initiative for vaccine research, said no other researchers had presented similar findings and it could be a "study bias", although the Canadian investigators were well known and capable.
"The reason why this may be different in Canada and in this particular study than in other places of the world is not yet identified. It may be a study bias, it may be that something is real," Kieny told a teleconference from the WHO headquarters.
She said all drug manufacturers who produced seasonal influenza shots will be able to make H1N1 vaccine, for a total annual output of 3 billion doses. Health workers, who make up 2 percent of the world's population, should be a priority. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Andrew Dobbie) -
DOCTOR IS IN: Nation moves quickly toward H1N1 vaccine
2009-09-28 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations doctor WHO
Assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Medical director of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center; investigator in the adult H1N1 influenza clinical trials.
With the arrival of fall, and schools and colleges well under way, Georgia already has seen a substantial number of cases of novel H1N1 flu. Although it appears that most cases have been mild, there have been more serious cases, just as there are every year with seasonal flu.
Doctors in the region have noted serious illness not only among individuals with underlying medical conditions but also among young, previously healthy individuals.
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H1N1 flu outbreaks reported in several Los Angeles schools
2009-09-27 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews LA school flu
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Outbreaks of suspected H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, have occurred at several schools in Los Angeles County since classes began earlier this month, it was reported on Friday.
At least five suspected H1N1 virus infections, have occurred at two elementary schools, a high school and a university, the Los Angeles Times reported.
But Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials declined to name the schools because of privacy concerns, the paper said.
"We had expected when schools would open up, we would start seeing an increase in flu-like illnesses," Kissell said.
Additionally, two infections occurred last week at Camp Paige, a county juvenile probation camp in La Verne near Los Angeles, the paper said.
Young people are particularly susceptible to contracting the virus and are on the priority list to receive a vaccine when it becomes available next month, the department said.
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EU Panel Backs Roche Tamiflu Use In Young Babies
2009-09-27 | Tag：googlenews H1N1 baby EU Vaccinations
ZURICH (Dow Jones)--A panel of European Union scientific advisers Friday gave a supportive vote on Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX) antiviral drug Tamiflu to be used in children younger than six months during the pandemic of the H1N1/A swine flu virus, and to prevent infection in children under one year that have been exposed to the virus.
Tamiflu, generically known as oseltamivir, can be used for the treatment of children aged 6 to 12 months of age during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
The drug is also approved for use in the treatment of influenza, including swine flu, in patients one year of age and older.
Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu or Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK), have been shown to reduce the spread of the flu virus in the body and are most effective if given within 12 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
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Maryland sees first child death related to H1N1
2009-09-27 | Tag：H1N1 googlenews Vaccinations kid Maryland
A Baltimore-area child who had an underlying health problem has died of swine flu, becoming the first youth death in Maryland stemming from the H1N1 virus, state health officials said Friday.
The death comes as state and local officials wait for supplies of a swine flu vaccine, and prepare for a mass vaccination campaign in October. And as with other deaths related to the new flu, officials would not reveal the child's name, age or hometown, nor elaborate on the circumstances that led to the death.
Since the outbreak this spring, the pandemic has sickened millions nationwide and is responsible for hundreds of deaths across the country, including seven adults in Maryland. Nationwide, 49 children have died of the swine flu and the majority of them had underlying health problems, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We wish to extend our sympathies to the family and loved ones of this child," John M. Colmers, state health department secretary, said in a statement. "As expected, H1N1 flu infections are on the rise in Maryland as we head into the flu season and we are seeing an increase in related hospitalizations. Unfortunately, as with regular seasonal flu, we expect to see more deaths as a result."
"This is a tragic occurrence and it is one that other states have experienced with this H1N1 virus," Frances Phillips, the state's deputy secretary for public health services, said of the latest death. "Because of the way the H1N1 virus disproportionally affects children, tragically, some children - even healthy children - can become ill very quickly."
Phillips said children have been hospitalized throughout the summer due to the virus, but all have recovered. She also pointed out that while not common, it's not unheard of for healthy children to die of the seasonal flu. Last season in Maryland, three children died of the seasonal flu, she said.
Another Baltimore-area child also has fallen seriously ill from the swine flu. A 13-year-old girl was in intensive care Thursday at the University of Maryland Medical Center with the virus, according to her aunt. The eighth-grader at Montebello Elementary/Middle School in Northeast Baltimore became ill in school on Monday and was taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with double pneumonia, the aunt said. She was then taken to the UM Medical Center for further treatment; her condition was unknown Friday.More susceptible
The risk of child deaths from the swine flu are particularly worrisome, because children and young adults are more susceptible to the new virus. Infectious disease experts believe that older people have likely been exposed to similar flu strains, affording them some immune protection, but young people appear to have no such immunity.
CDC data show that children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other neuro-developmental disorders are among children with the highest risks. Adolescents appear to be at higher risk of dying of the virus than younger children.
These findings underscore why children are the target of a mass federal vaccination campaign that will begin as soon as vaccine is available to the public.
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