Seattle-King County Health Department just released a Situation Report on the H1N1 Influenza Response for October:
Several indicators continue to show rising influenza activity in King County. Emergency department visits for influenza-like illness continue to increase. Hospital admissions for 2009 H1N1 flu are approaching levels seen at the height of the spring outbreak. The number of hospitalizations where flu subtyping has not been performed is increasing as well, and many of these are likely to be 2009 H1N1 flu cases. Clinics that are part of Public Health’s influenza surveillance system are showing more activity recently, with both the number of specimens and the percentage of positive tests for influenza unusually high for this time of year.Between 10/4/09- 10/29/09 the following hospitalizations and deaths have been reported to Public HealthConfirmed 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations: 772009 H1N1 deaths: 1Non-H1N1 or not tested influenza hospitalizations: 47Non-H1N1 or not tested influenza deaths: 1
Since September, the total number of H1N1 influenza hospitalizations is 135, and two people have died. Currently, there is a vaccine shortage but the supply situation is slowly improving. Public Health is not recommending vaccination for everyone – only for “priority groups”:
- Pregnant women
- Children and young adults 6 months to 24 years of age
- Persons ages 25-64 years old with health conditions that could make them dangerously ill from the flu (such as those with heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or anyone with a lowered immunity)
- Household members and caregivers of children younger than 6 months in age; and
- Healthcare workers and emergency medical service providers
There’s a pretty good collection of info here, too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_in_the_United
The text is kind of a mess since the numbers keep rising, but they provide links so you can track down different sources of info.
I was informed by my child’s pediatrician that the 2 flu mist vaccines (H1N1 & Seasonal) were given too close together – about a week apart. Is this something that I should report? Where?