New York regions defined by NYS Dept of Health

Swine flu continues to spread in New York State. Data compiled by the NYS Department of Health suggests that this fall’s wave of pandemic flu will be larger and affect more people than the spring wave did.

The graph above illustrates the numbers for Flu-like Illness in NYS hospital emergency departments as percentage of total emergency department visits, by Region (3 month snapshot). FLI is the primary indicator being used in NYS, and all of the testing being done demonstrates that pandemic Swine Flu is the overwhelming influenza virus making people sick.

In New York City, the situation seems to be different at this point. After large numbers of Swine Flu cases this past spring, the indicators for the illness are well within normal expectations for this time of year.

For the rest of this article, please visit the Rochester Infectious Disease Examiner.

All military personnel will be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus, and the vaccine will be available to all military family members who want it, a Defense Department health affairs official said today.

The H1N1 vaccination program will begin in early October, said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Wayne Hachey, director of preventive medicine for Defense Department health affairs.

The vaccine, which has been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, will be mandatory for uniformed personnel, the colonel said. “What we want to do is target those people who are at highest risk for transmission,” he said.

Health-care workers, deploying troops, those serving on ships and submarines, and new accessions are at the top of the list. “Any place where we take a lot of people, squash them all together and get them nice and close and put them under stressful conditions will get the vaccine first,” he said.

The department will use the usual seasonal flu vaccine distribution chain for the H1N1, Hachey said, noting that while the mass H1N1 vaccinations are new to the general population, the process for vaccinating against seasonal flu is old hat for the Defense Department. “We’ve been doing this for decades,” the colonel said. “The system is tried and true.”

The department initially will receive 1 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine, and another 1.7 million doses later in October.

Officials don’t know yet whether people will need one dose or two, Hachey said. “The assumption right now is that people will need two doses, 21 days apart,” he said. “That may change.”

FDA officials still are studying H1N1 and the vaccine, and the results should be known by the end of the month.

Seasonal flu vaccine already is available, and the Defense Department will begin giving those shots shortly, Hachey said. “That has been our message to immunizers: to try and get as many people as they can immunized against the seasonal flu early,” he said.

Guidelines for giving priority to family members will follow those for the general population, Hachey said. The Department of Health and Human Services is buying millions of doses of the vaccine.

“Installations are going to register with each state as an immunizer,” Hachey said. “They will tell how many people they care for. This includes dependents, retirees and so on.”

The Centers for Disease Control will place the order and will ship the vaccine where needed. Family members will have multiple opportunities to get the vaccine, whether at Defense Department medical facilities or off post, Hachey said.

The CDC has established target groups for those at greatest risk for transmitting or being affected by the H1N1. They include pregnant women, health-care workers, those younger than 25 or older than 65, and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Hachey said previous plans are serving the Defense Department well. “We have been preparing for pandemic flu because of its potential impact on the mission,” he said.

The symptoms of the H1N1 flu are almost the same as the seasonal flu: fever, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, muscle aches and feeling rundown. The 2009 H1N1 virus – formerly known as swine flu – is a pandemic virus, according to the World Health Organization. U.S. officials call the virus “troubling” and urge communities across the United States to take actions to mitigate the effects of it. The federal government is urging states and municipalities to begin preparing now for the fall flu season.

President Barack Obama addressed the H1N1 pandemic following a White House meeting today.

“As I said when we saw the first cases of this virus back in the spring, I don’t want anybody to be alarmed, but I do want everybody to be prepared,” he said. “We know that we usually get a second, larger wave of these flu viruses in the fall, and so response plans have been put in place across all levels of government.”

But government cannot do it all, and the American people have a responsibility to stop the spread of the disease, Obama said. “We need families and businesses to ensure that they have plans in place if a family member, a child or a co-worker contracts the flu and needs to stay home,” he said.

“And most importantly, we need everyone to get informed about individual risk factors, and we need everyone to take the common-sense steps that we know can make a difference,” the president said. “Stay home if you’re sick. Wash your hands frequently. Cover your sneezes with your sleeve, not your hands. And take all the necessary precautions to stay healthy. I know it sounds simple, but it’s important and it works.”

The H1N1 is a never-before-seen combination of human, swine and avian flu viruses, officials said. First detected in Mexico in February, it quickly spread around the world. According to July WHO statistics, there have been 94,512 H1N1 cases worldwide, and 429 people have died from it. In the United States, 33,902 contracted H1N1, and 170 have died.

DVIDS
Story by Jim Garamone

University of Alabama

University of Alabama officials say 54 cases of influenza were reported on the first day of school.

John Maxwell of the Student Health Center says most of the cases are likely the swine flu and says health officials believe the outbreak started with sorority rush last week.

Anderson University (S.C.)

Two students at Anderson University have tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus, the school confirmed Tuesday. H1N1 was formerly known as swine flu.

The positive tests came back Friday, according Barry Ray, the school’s director of marketing and communication. “They tested positive for the five-day flu, which is an 80 percent chance the illness is H1N1,” Ray said. Conclusive results won’t be back for a few more days, he said.

Carnegie Mellon University

Eighteen suspected cases of H1N1 influenza have prompted Carnegie Mellon University to take action to reduce exposures and prevent a full-fledged outbreak.

In a university e-mail yesterday, officials said 18 students have contacted Student Health Services about having flu-like illness.

Classes will continue.

Penn State University

Eight new cases of swine flu were confirmed at Carnegie Mellon University yesterday, bringing the total to 26 students with H1N1 influenza, and the number is expected to climb.

Penn State University also confirmed several cases, while other local universities reported no problems to date.

Mississippi State University has a great page on its site devoted to pandemic flu, Swine Flu, novel H1N1. It’s difficult to tell which name ought to be used, but the MSU folks are on top of their situation. As of Friday they report 136 cases on campus.

Mississippi is at the heart of a significant outbreak, with at least 508 cases in public schools. During the spring outbreak, Mississippi lagged the nation until late May and June. It looks like it may lead the nation, at least until the larger states open their schools. Mississippi’s schools were among the first in the nation to open for fall. It follows that Swine Flu will be more active there.

Mississippi – 150 cases reported in 19 districts as of August 11

Boyle county, Kentucky

Numerous absences because of flu-like illness prompted the Boyle County school district to cancel classes for the rest of this week at Junction City Elementary School, Superintendent Mike LaFavers said.

Health authorities are assuming that the cases are H1N1 swine flu.

Junction City Elementary has 353 students.

Grand Bay, Alabama

Sick children are being sent home left and right from one Mobile County Middle School. All of this coming on the heels of a confirmed case of Swine Flu. The school system is encouraging everyone, to safeguard yourself by washing your hands. Parents are also asked to keep sick students home.

Camden county, Georgia

Several students at Camden County Middle School were sent home today, because of flu-like symptoms.

School nurses say students were experiencing fevers (100 degrees or higher), lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Other symptoms of influenza including the swine virus can also include runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Marshall county, Kentucky

It did not take long for one Heartland school district to come face to face with H1N1 also known as the Swine Flu. Just days into a new school year, the Marshall County School District has two confirmed cases of the flu.

The school district received word from the Marshall County Health department Friday afternoon. While the Marshall County Superintendent says he expected to see the illness at some point this school year. He says they did not expect to see students getting sick already.