H1N1 Flu

10/14/09

First shipment of H1N1 vaccine arrives in Contra Costa County

       
        The first doses of H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine have arrived in Contra Costa and more is expected in the coming weeks, health officials reported Tuesday.  The initial shipment is about 7,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine in nasal form and will be distributed at school-based clinics in the next few weeks, said Contra Costa Public Health Communicable Disease Program Chief Francie Wise. By the end of October, more than 100,000 doses of vaccine are expected to be available in Contra Costa in nasal and shot form and more will follow.  “This is just the beginning of a long vaccination effort. Over the next weeks and months, regular shipments of vaccine will arrive in Contra Costa and it is expected that there will be enough for everyone who wants to receive it. We appreciate the public’s patience as we undertake this effort,” Wise said. “We urge everyone to get vaccinated because it is the best protection against H1N1, which has made many people sick and been related to six deaths in our county.”

        Because the first shipment of vaccine is in nasal form, not everyone can receive it.  Only healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49 can receive the nasal vaccine, and the state health department has identified healthy children as a priority. Regular seasonal flu clinics were already scheduled at 49 elementary schools throughout Contra Costa over several weeks in October so students at those schools will receive these initial doses, Wise said.  “Children are more likely to get H1N1 and many children were sick last spring. By starting with school-aged children at the clinics we can get the vaccine out quickly and help prevent the spread of H1N1 in our community and so help protect everyone,” Wise said.  As more vaccine becomes available, Contra Costa residents will have more options on how to get the vaccine. People are encouraged to contact their health care providers first. When available, vaccine will be distributed to doctors who have signed up to receive it.  As more vaccine arrives, the H1N1 vaccine will be offered at Contra Costa Public Health’s free community drive-through clinics in November, which are intended for people who cannot get seasonal or H1N1 vaccine from their own health care providers.

         Everyone is encouraged to get both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines when they become available. The following groups should be sure to get the H1N1 vaccine: pregnant women, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years old, and adults ages 25 to 64 who have chronic health disorders such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma or compromised immune systems. Other groups that should get vaccinated for both seasonal and H1N1 flu are health care workers, emergency medical services personnel and those who care for young children under 6 months of age. In the meanwhile, everyone can help protect themselves, their loved ones and their community by following these prevention tips: wash hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home from school or work if sick.

         For H1N1 updates in English and Spanish, visit Contra Costa Health Services’ website at www.cchealth.org or call the 1-888-959-9911 for prerecorded health information. A podcast also is available on the website: http://cchealth.org/topics/podcast/

Protecting Yourself

Each person is ultimately responsible for their own protection and prevention.  Use the referenced links for more information about the H1N1 virus and its status.  The County Health Services Department provided the following information:

Information for People Living in Contra Costa County:

This is a rapidly evolving situation and guidance may change. We are updating our website, www.cchealth.org, as soon as new information becomes available. Short status updates also will issued online through Twitter, sign up to follow us at http://twitter.com/CoCoHealth

Local health officials are working closely with state and federal health authorities. For information on cases in California and other states, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

In Contra Costa, health officials are advising the public to:

• If you are sick, stay home from work or school.

• If you live with someone who is sick with flu-like symptoms, you may want to consider staying home.

• If you are sick or anyone in your family is sick with flu-like symptoms, do not attend large public events.

• Attending a public event may increase your chance of being exposed to an illness. If you do decide to attend a public event, use good hand and respiratory hygiene.

• If you have flu symptoms contact your health care provider. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. Flu symptoms include fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea.

• Only go to the emergency room if you have a medical emergency.

•  We are recommending that only people ill with severe flu-like symptoms be tested for swine flu.

• There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. The CDC is working on one. It will not likely be available for several months.

• We do not recommend treatment with antivirals unless your health provider advises you to do so.

•  You can help protect yourself and your family by using the same simple steps used to prevent regular seasonal flu: Cough or sneeze into your sleeve, wash your hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, try to avoid contact with sick people.

•  Masks: We are not currently recommending the general public wear facemasks. We are recommending that people who are sick with  flu symptoms wear a facemask around others. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from others who may be sick.