H1N1 Pandemic: Updated

The H1N1 pandemic is a growing concern among everyone. As of October 17, the virus had caused nearly 5000 deaths worldwide, and according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention, 46 states are reporting widespread influenza activity.

The CDC also said this week that H1N1 is hitting young people the hardest, a stark contrast to the seasonal flu. People under the age of 25 have made up 53 percent of the hospitalizations from H1N1, while those over 65 account for only 7 percent. Similarly, 12 percent of swine flu fatalities have occurred in the elderly. The seasonal flu has almost the opposite effect, with 90 percent of fatalities occurring in people 65 and older.

With so many people getting sick, H1N1 treatment and prevention is key. The first step should be to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. Production problems have slowed the delivery of the vaccination, however. While federal officials had predicted 40 million doses would be ready by October 15, only about 13 million were released by October 20. The delay occurred because the vaccine requires the growth of the H1N1 virus in chicken eggs, and the virus took longer to mature than expected. The new objective is to release 50 million doses by mid-November and 150 million by year’s end.

There are several resources people can use to find a flu shot clinic near their homes. The government's flu website provides a Flu Shot Locator here, with information about where to receive both the seasonal and  H1N1 vaccines.  In addition, many pharmacies are providing flu shots, including Rite Aid, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens.  Use their store locators to find the most convenient place.

For those wary of the controversial effects of the vaccine-preservative Thimerosal, individual doses free of the mercury-containing preservative will be available for patients who ask for it. A nasal spray version containing a substantially weakened form of the virus is also available. The nasal spray however, is not recommended for pregnant women or patients with compromised immune systems, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or other chronic conditions as it does contain bits of live virus.  

Also this week, the CDC warned doctors not to wait for a positive flu test result before treating patients with antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. Doctors often delay treatment until receiving laboratory confirmation of the flu, but many times the test results are inaccurate. In fact, negative results are false up to 40 percent of the time. Officials therefore recommend quickly giving antiviral drugs to people exhibiting serious flu-like symptoms, especially those with risk factors such as pregnancy or diabetes.