[Clinicians] FW: H1N1 flu update - H1N1 in the news

[Shannon Kolman]

Hello CHAMPS Clinicians' Listserv Members,

 

Below is an email from the Colorado Community Health Network's (CCHN)
Emergency Preparedness Manager that gives a great overview of the H1N1
virus. 

 

In addition, here is a link to the CDC's full update on H1N1, dated July
24, 2009:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

 

Lastly, here is a link to an article by the CDC, 10 Steps You Can Take:
Actions for Novel H1N1 Influenza Planning and Response for Medical
Offices and Outpatient Facilities, which may be helpful:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/10steps.htm

 

 

Shannon Kolman, MBA

Clinical Programs Director

Community Health Association of Mountain Plains States (CHAMPS)
www.champsonline.org <http://www.champsonline.org/> 

Ph: 303-861-5165 ext. 236

The mission of CHAMPS is to support all Region VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,
WY) federally-funded Community Health Care Centers so they can better
serve their patients.

________________________________

From: Nancy Gilbert 
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 3:10 PM
Subject: H1N1 flu update - H1N1 in the news

 

H1N1 is back in the news with a dire announcement that one to two
hundred thousand people could die in the US if an H1N1 vaccine is not
developed.  This is just the beginning of H1N1 news stories that will
probably continue until this fall.

 

H1N1 Background

H1N1 is a novel or new influenza that first surfaced in Mexico last
spring.   New influenzas are ones that have a genetic makeup that has
never been seen before, or for a long time, and as a result most humans
have no immunity to them.  Apparently some variant of H1N1 was around
before 1945 because many people over 65 have some immunity.   The virus
so far has been mild in most people but can cause serious illness in
people ages 0 to 24 or people with underlying health problems.  Health
problems that are considered a flu risk are respiratory, cardio,
diabetes, cancer, and pregnancy.  There have been 302 verified H1N1
deaths in the US so far.  To put this in perspective an average of
36,000 people die every year in the US from seasonal flu.

 

So, Why All of the Excitement?

Because H1N1 is a new strain no one knows what to expect from it.  It
also is not following the rules.  Influenza virus is supposed to hit in
the fall and winter and then go away in the summer, often showing up in
the southern hemisphere where it is winter.  H1N1 has stuck around and
continues to infect people in the US (the air force academy has had a
recent outbreak), Europe and Asia as well as moving to the southern
hemisphere.  H1N1 is also infecting a different age group.  Seasonal flu
is most dangerous to young children and the elderly.  So far the median
age for serious H1N1 cases is 17.  The last item of concern is that H1N1
is still changing genetically and it is feared that it could develop
into a much more dangerous illness.  Several strains of H1N1 (none of
these have spread) have developed an immunity to antivirals. 

 

The Good News - H1N1 Vaccine

The US has contracted with five companies to develop vaccines for H1N1.
All of the vaccines will be egg-based (this is an established method and
is used to make the seasonal flu vaccines).  The vaccine is expected to
be available in October.  The supplies at the beginning of the flu
season will be limited and several proposals have been made on who
should receive the limited supplies first.  The proposal the Center for
Disease Control (CDC) is currently supporting is to vaccinate medical
staff (the CHCs have been included on the list), children (0-24) and
people with underlying health problems.  

 

Children are being put on the list not only because they are more
susceptible to H1N1, but also because they create and shed more virus
than adults do.  As one CDPHE employee stated "children are walking
Petri-dishes when it comes to germs".  Vaccinating children, it is
believed, will slow down the spread of H1N1, allowing time for the
manufacturing of more vaccine.

 

Vaccine Testing

Australia started testing H1N1 vaccine on humans last week.  The US will
begin testing in August.  If the vaccine proves to be ineffective or
unsafe it will not be distributed. The testing process will also show
how much vaccine one person will need to receive to be protected against
H1N1.  Currently it is believed that two shots will be needed, three to
four weeks apart to provide immunity.

 

The Seasonal Flu Vaccine

The seasonal vaccine has already been manufactured and will be ready for
distribution early this year.  The seasonal vaccine does not protect
against H1N1 but it is very important that people are vaccinated for the
seasonal flu.  Seasonal flu does cause an average of 36,000 deaths a
year in the US.  There is also concern that if someone became ill with
both types of flu they would be extremely ill and there is the chance
the two flus could combine genetically in that person into something new
and deadlier.

 

The two vaccines will probably not be given to a person at the same
time.  If someone had a reaction it would be impossible to tell which
vaccine was causing it.  

 

What We Can Do To Protect Ourselves And Our Families

The best protection against H1N1 or any flu is to stay healthy.  Eat
healthy, get enough sleep, take vitamins, get exercise, wash your hands
often, and keep your distance from people who are sick.  Keep children
home from school and stay home from work if you are running a
temperature.  You may not be very ill, but the person that works next
you may not be as lucky.

 

What the Colorado CHCs Are Doing

The CHCs are working closely with the local public health agencies to be
sure that they have the latest information and resources for fighting
H1N1.  CHCs are putting respiratory policies into place and with the
help of CCHN  are testing employees to see which respirators provide
each employee with the best fit.  CCHN through the CDPHE emergency
preparedness grant is helping the Heatlh Centers stock up on the
respirators, surgical masks, gogles, gloves and gowns.  CHCs are also
looking at ways to keep flu patients away from others in the waiting
rooms including designating specific clinics as "flu clinics".  By this
fall they will be ready for the vaccination program, a hard flu season,
or a combination of both.

 

If you have questions, please come to talk to me.

 

Nancy K. Gilbert

Emergency Preparedness Manager

Colorado Community Health Network

303.861.5165 X258

nancy at cchn.org

 

The Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) is the collective voice for
Colorado's 15 Community Health Centers (CHCs) and their patients. CHCs
provide a health care home to more than 500,000 of their community
members - one in 10 people in Colorado - from 55 of the state's 64
counties. Without CHCs, hundreds of thousands of Colorado's low-income
families and individuals would have no regular source of health care.
CCHN's mission is to increase access to high quality health care for
people in need in Colorado. For more information about CCHN, please
visit www.cchn.org <http://www.cchn.org/> .

National Health Center Week is August 9-15, 2009, celebrating America's
Health Centers: Where Access and Quality Care Begin

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

 

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