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This year, flu season will be a different event. It is the first time in history that officials will be recommending two different flu vaccines, both available on different schedules. One vaccine will be for the H1N1 “swine flu” virus, and the second will be for the seasonal flu. The H1N1 virus was declared a pandemic on June 11 of this year. It closed hundreds of schools across the country. Barbara Ferrer, executive direct of the Boston Public Health Commission, said one in every 10 Boston school children were affected by the H1N1 virus.
Health officials predict that swine flu season will begin earlier than the traditional flu season. They expect H1N1 to break out in September instead of the regular October/November timeframe. Even though it is summer and the traditional flu season has ended, swine flu is still around in the US, especially in summer camps. “We expect challenges when people return to school, when kids are congregating together,” Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of respiratory diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated in a telephone news conference last week. The goal of public health officials is to develop and administer the swine vaccine early, especially to school age children. This group and the elderly are particularly susceptible to this strain.
However, manufacturing the swine flu vaccine has its challenges, and the clock is ticking. The government shipped the H1N1 seed strain to vaccine manufactures in May. The H1N1 flu strain is growing between 25-50% slower than the seasonal H1N1 flu strain, but manufacturers are trying different methods to speed up the growth. Last week, Australia initiated clinical trials for the vaccine; in the US, the FDA will have only weeks to decide if the vaccine is safe.
What can you do to stay healthy as we wait for these vaccines? The CDC has published the following recommendations:
- Stay informed. The CDC Website is updated as information becomes available.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you need to cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. (The flu is spread mainly from person to person through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.)
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, which spreads germs.
- Stay home from school or work if you are sick, and limit your contact with others.
- Follow public health advice on school closures, and avoid crowds.
- Find healthy ways to deal with stress.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/health/18flu.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106848740
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106662735
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