Wednesday, August 12, 2009

N.H., Maine efforts to curb swine flu on right track

August 12, 2009 6:00 AM

New Hampshire and Maine officials are right to prepare for an expected return of the H1N1 virus. Dubbed the "swine flu" this past spring, the virus has infected patients worldwide.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from April 15 to July 24, in the United States, there were 43,771 confirmed and probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection. Of these cases, 5,011 people were hospitalized and 302 people died.

To hear one local physician tell it, the spring outbreak, while troubling, was less daunting than it could have been.

"It's very contagious, but not very virulent," said Dr. David Heller, a doctor at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, last week.

But he warned the virus is expected to re-emerge this fall. How virulent it will be if and when it does return is anyone's guess. Along with that, officials are anticipating the usual outbreak of the seasonal flu. Indeed, the two strains combined could create a "perfect storm" of illness in the coming months.

In response, flu vaccine manufacturers are bringing seasonal flu vaccinations to market earlier this year, most by the end of September. Vaccines for the H1N1 virus are expected to arrive in October or November, the Associated Press reported last week.

New Hampshire and Maine are preparing for the onslaught with H1N1 public-awareness campaigns designed to curb that flu's effect while also making sure people are immunized against the seasonal flu.

"If you reduce incidents of seasonal flu, you could build up some immunity to swine flu," said Kittery School Superintendent Larry Littlefield last week.

The double-barrelled strategy makes sense to us and we commend both New Hampshire and Maine officials for getting out in front of the problem before it takes hold.

New Hampshire health officials are now meeting with school nurses, doctors and other health-care workers to educate them about how to manage the swine flu and minimize its risk. On the Seacoast, the Portsmouth Area Emergency Planning Team has been meeting to discuss strategy. Heller noted there are also plans to immunize "large numbers of people" against the seasonal flu.

In Maine, the Department of Education is hosting a "swine flu summit" on Aug. 20. Locals expected to attend include representatives of the Kittery, York and Wells-Ogunquit school districts, and York Town Manager Rob Yandow, who serves on the York county and Maine Councils on Public Health.

Kittery, York and Ogunuqit-Wells school districts also plan to offer seasonal-flu vaccines to students this fall.

As the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, the federal government has prioritized who should receive it, likely in an initial shot and then a booster, according to Yandow. He noted he'll be working not only with the schools but the local business community to raise awareness.

"Public education is going to be the big thing...there are a lot of experts who say (H1N1) will come back stronger than before."

At the greatest risk for contracting the H1N1 virus are pregnant women, health-care workers, young people between 6 months and 24 years-old, and people who congregate, such as schoolchildren, college students and military members. Heller noted senior citizens are showing less susceptibility to contracting H1N1, possibly because they may have been immunized against it during the last swine flu outbreak in the 1970s. But senior citizens are still at risk to contract the seasonal flu.

Preventative measures can go a long way to staving off these illnesses. We encourage folks to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when they cough, check in with their doctor if they come down with a fever and stay on top of the evolving public effort to tackle these illnesses. Together, we can take the bite out of coming flu season.

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