Health officials began receiving the first “swine flu†vaccines around the country this week, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had already reported significant influenza activity in virtually all of the states.
Ninety-eight percent of the flu cases reported were determined to be the swine flu also known as the 2009 H1N1 Flu. The CDC does not publish a confirmed number of H1N1 cases, but there were 593 confirmed deaths due to H1N1 from April through the end of August.
While trying to control the pandemic, health officials are finding that compared with seasonal influenza, the 2009 H1N1 flu is unpredictable. For example, although about 36,000 people over 65 years of age die from seasonal flu each year that age group is rarely affected by the H1N1 virus, according to Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, during a White House conference.
It has affected more people under the age of 65, including many pregnant women. Others considered at a high risk for H1N1 are the same as those at high risk for influenza. All high risk groups will receive vaccinations before the general population.
“Minority communities are no more or less at risk for H1N1 then any other communities,†said Sebelius.
African Americans and other minorities also have higher rates of chronic illness, such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes– all underlying conditions that make it more likely that the flu can be very serious.
Dr. Mark Johnson, chair of the department of family medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey, has not only encountered several cases of swine flu, but he teaches other doctors about how to diagnose and treat patients with it. BlackEnterprise.com talked with Johnson about the condition and its vaccine.
BlackEnterprise.com: What are the symptoms of swine flu?
Dr. Mark Johnson: There are certain signs or symptoms that you should consider emergency warning signs. In children, look for fast or troubled breathing, lethargy, irritability, unsocial interactions, or bluish skin color, which may indicate they are not getting enough oxygen due to respiratory problems.
In adults, the danger signs might be shortness of breath, chest pain, significant pain in the abdomen, confusion, dizziness, or severe and persistent vomiting.
If you experience these symptoms should you go to the emergency room?
No. Don’t go to the ER unless you have a very high fever or other dangerous symptom that you can’t control with Tylenol or ibuprofen. Going to the ER can actually be a dangerous thing because you are more likely to go to a place in which there will be a lot of people who do have the flu. If you are concerned you should call your physician.
How will the doctor know for sure someone has swine flu?
The doctor should assess the severity of your symptoms. Some offices are doing quick tests to see if they can confirm if this is H1N1, but the sensitivity of those tests are quite variable. Basically, the doctor will rely on his clinical judgment.
How do you protect yourself from getting the swine flu or prevent giving it to others?
Cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze. The flu is
transmitted primarily through sneezing and coughing, which produce respiratory droplets. You can pass the flu on to others if they breathe in those droplets or if you cough in your hand and touch something. The virus can stay alive on certain surfaces anywhere from 2-8 hours. That is why hand washing is so important.If you have someone at home or work who you believe has the flu avoid being within six feet of them. At home, keep them isolated in their own room. Also, wash down surfaces, countertops, door knobs, and communal office equipment to prevent the spread of infection.
How is the swine flu different from the seasonal flu?
The vast majority of people with the swine flu have mild symptoms. They don’t need to see a doctor, they recover well and they go on with their life. For reasons we cannot predict some people have severe reactions and require hospitalization. More young than elderly people are becoming infected. A certain portion of the elderly population actually might have some immunity to H1N1 from previous infections.
Should people get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and swine flu?
Yes. They are separate viruses and vaccination from one will not protect you from the other. You should get vaccinated for the seasonal flu vaccine first and then the H1N1. You might also consider that there are two antiviral drugs approved and available to fight H1N1 for individuals who have already contracted it. Doctors will try
to limit antiviral drugs to people who are hospitalized with influenza and people with increased risk of influenza-related complications. The vaccinations increase your immunity to the disease, while the antiviral drugs work like an antibiotic and specifically attack the virus.What business etiquette should people apply when they feel sick with the flu?
If you feel sick, now isn’t the proper time to be a hero. Don’t say, ‘I’m coming to work. I’m only a little sick.’ That is not going to be beneficial to your employees or coworkers. Let your supervisor know that you have flu symptoms, stay home, and continue to stay home until you have no fever for at least 24 hours. Limit outside activities to seeking medical care.
Should people refrain from shaking hands in a business setting?
Don’t feel awkward to forgo a handshake at business functions. If a handshake is unavoidable, refrain from touching your own mouth or facial area. Wash your hands immediately after leaving a business reception or use hand sanitizers frequently.
Why is there a gap in vaccination coverage for African Americans?
Vaccination is a problem in the African American community because there is an aura of mistrust of the healthcare system that goes back to slavery. In addition, there are other causes that reduce access to vaccinations, such as lack of insurance or lack of having a primary care provider.
Is there any truth to rumors that people should be afraid of taking a swine flu shot?
There was an outbreak of swine flu in 1976 and people who got vaccinated had a greater risk of getting Guillain-Barre syndrome, which caused nerve damage, muscle weakness, and sometimes paralysis. People still remember that, but it is actually very rare with only one or two cases per 100,000 a year. In addition, results from genetics on the swine flu virus show that this strain is significantly different from the one in 1976 and the vaccine is entirely different also.
Other points of interest from the Department of Health and Human Services:
–Swine flu vaccinations are free at all public health venues. Some providers may bill insurance for cost of administration, but the government encourages them to waive those fees.
–Although the government has ordered enough vaccines for everyone, it is still voluntary.
–The swine flu vaccination is currently being administered to five priority groups only including: health care workers, pregnant women, children and young adults between 6 months and 24 years of age, adults 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions and people living with or caring for babies under 6 months of age. Vaccinations for everyone else will be administered in late October.
–Infants younger than six months of age are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.
–Vaccines will be administered at public health departments, school venues, work sites, and community centers, among other places
–If you have mild illness your provider might make the decision that you can’t be vaccinated.
–People with an egg allergy should NOT be vaccinated with neither the flu shot nor the nasal spray flu vaccine since the vaccine is grown in eggs. Healthy people 2 to 49 years old can receive a nasal spray flu vaccine.
–The swine flu vaccine is made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine; only a different strain of influenza is put into the swine flu vaccine.