01/30/2010: "Flu Season: It Ain’t Over until it’s Over"

By Stan Matthews

In an email to the County’s Medical providers this week, San Juan County Health Officer Dr. Frank James delivered good news with a word of caution.

“Influenza activity is at a low level. No hospitalizations have occurred and flu activity is well below routine influenza activity for this time of year. School absenteeism is low.” At the same time he urged everyone who has not been vaccinated against both seasonal and H1N1 flu to do so as soon as possible.

The history of flu pandemics gives a clear warning, he said. “In the 1957-58 pandemic, a later winter-early fall ‘third wave’ occurred that hit older adults particularly hard after earlier waves that were more severe in younger persons. Although we cannot predict if a third wave of H1N1 will occur, vaccinating as many persons as possible will minimize the impact of a recurrent H1N1 outbreak and perhaps provide residual protection into next season.”

Vaccine supplies are now considered adequate. However because supplies were limited through much of the 2009 flu season many people 65 years and older and people 25-64 without chronic medical conditions were not vaccinated. Dr. James noted, “Even though infection rates in those groups have been lower, nationally death rates in those that do get infected have been very high, and some outbreaks among older people living in long-term care facilities also have been reported.”

The San Juan County Health and Community Services Department tracked cases in all public and many private schools in the County through late December and contacted the families of more than more than 1,000 students with flu-like symptoms to provide advice and answer questions about how to care for the disease.

The work of the County’s health officer and public health nurses is credited with prompting several young people to get treatment that might have otherwise been delayed and resulted in hospitalization or even death. The department also oversaw the distribution of the limited supply of flu vaccine, set priorities and held clinics to insure that the most vulnerable groups were vaccinated first.

Only one San Juan County resident, a toddler with an existing respiratory problem, has been hospitalized due to H1N1 flu. There have been no reported flu-related deaths in the County since the beginning of the flu season.

Dr. James praised the work of health professionals within the county and the Emergency Management team that oversaw the County’s response to the outbreak. “I believe that the actions of our medical community saved lives,” he said.

Flu Season is generally considered to run through the end of March.

( Stan Matthews Communications program manager for San Juan County)