Relying only on lab-confirmed cases results is an under-estimation of the virus’ spread and impact. A large majority of patients never have their H1N1 symptoms confirmed by a lab because doctor’s offices, emergency departments, urgent care clinics and the laboratory themselves are all overwhelmed by the volume of sick patients. The CDC believes that this new method provides a more complete picture of the disease incidence and its severity.

The new method provides estimates of the following:

1-the number of people infected based on visits to treatment facilities (doctor’s offices, urgent care centers, emergency departments)

2-the number of patients hospitalized

3-the number of deaths in the first six months of the pandemic

The CDC feels that these estimates are more complete than counts that initially only used laboratory-confirmed cases and did not include those cases from the onset of the H1N1 pandemic.

Once you receive the vaccine, your body reacts to the dead or weakened virus by producing its own army of antibodies to protect you. This army of antibodies that the vaccine helped your body create assists your immune system to attack and destroy the live virus if it enters your body. 

That’s about as simple as I can make it …………. I hope this explanation helps.

Federal health officials now say nearly 4,000 Americans have died from the H1N1 virus since April – the start of the H1N1 flu season. Previous estimates put the number of fatalities at around 1,000, but the death toll has been recalculated to include deaths from flu-related complications, such as pneumonia and bacterial infections.

The CDC estimates that 22 million Americans have gotten the virus and close to 100,000 have been hospitalized.
Eight million children have been infected – 540 have died.

Last year, 103 million Americans received the “seasonal” flu vaccine. This year 114 million doses have been manufactured and 90 million doses have been shipped leaving about 24 million doses of the “seasonal” flu vaccine yet to be shipped. There is no way vaccine manufacturers can make more “seasonal” flu vaccine now. The manufacturers have already committed their factories to making nearly 200 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine for the United States and other markets. The problem causing the delay is that the growing of the H1N1vaccine in the eggs is much slower than was predicted.

My greatest frustration during the day were those adults who lied to get the vaccine. There was the elderly couple who insisted they were taking care of three grandchildren all under 6 months of age and demanded the flu shot. Hmmm ……. they were having difficulties negotiating the process of just getting the vaccine not alone could I imagine them caring for infants. BUT, I am not the flu police nor do I believe any healthcare professional giving flu shots should be in the position of arguing with those individuals who feel they are entitled to the vaccine. Question them extensively yes but fighting with someone who obviously feels they deserve the flu shot at all costs, well that’s just not the role of a nurse. I feel the responsibility is with the patient – it’s a moral issue in my opinion. Each person who lies to get the H1N1 shot  is taking the vaccine away from a child or a pregnant woman or achronically ill patient or a healthcare worker who are at great risk of getting the H1N1 virus.  But it was my experience that there were a few people during Saturday’s vaccination clinics who either lied or bullied their way into getting the flu shot. Granted they were in the minority and I only worked one clinic but there’s just something that isn’t right about people who lie to get what they want at the expense of the needs of others.

President Obama has declared the H1N1 flu a national emergency. The H1N1 has claimed more than 1,000 American lives, which includes 100 children. 46 states are reporting widespread flu activity. This declaration will allow public health agencies as well as doctors and hospitals to bypass certain federal requirements allowing healthcare facilities to immediately implement emergency operational plans. This includes the creation of alternate care locations including offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers to improve the treatment and protect non-infected patients.

This is the second such declaration since the flu first emerged last spring when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared a public health emergency which freed up supplies of Tamiflu and Relenza from the national stockpile.

At least one extraordinary step was announced yesterday. The FDA gave permission for the use of the investigational antiviral Peramivir to treat patients who are critically ill with H1N1.

So, will this administration also fail in its attempts to reform the healthcare system? The current proposals for healthcare reform have created an uproar in many communities. One of the many hurdles in gaining acceptance of any healthcare reform proposal is that 80% of Americans are pleased with their health insurance and are generally satisfied with the care they receive. These insured individuals fear change. Yet, the US spends twice as much per person as do the 10 next richest countries in the world. But still, 1 out of 6 Americans under the age of 65 are uninsured or worse are uninsurable.

For those who are blessed to be insured, proposals that threaten to change the status quo are viewed with great suspicion. It doesn’t seem to matter that 40 million Americans are without healthcare. There doesn’t seem to be great concern that if the costs for healthcare continue to rise, our country will be in financial ruin. The American public just doesn’t like change and healthcare reform represents change that the most vocal just aren’t willing to accept. We will have to see if we will be part of history – either by having FAILED again or by reforming a broken healthcare system.

I think most of us know that Healthcare Reform has been an important focus for President Obama. With 40 million plus Americans uninsured and the costs of healthcare totally out of control, it seems now is the time to change the system. But guess what? The discussion about Healthcare Reform started back in 1912.

President Teddy Roosevelt introduced a platform calling for national health insurance. Then in 1934 President Franklin Roosevelt considered Universal Health coverage as part of the Social Security Act. Presidents including Truman, Carter, Ford, Clinton and both Bushes introduced various proposals for healthcare reform with Universal coverage as the goal. All of these proposals had one thing in common – they FAILED.

THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT TRUE 

The flu vaccine is absolutely the best way to protect you against the flu. There are two types of vaccines for the 2009 -2010 flu season. One is the seasonal flu and the other is the vaccine to protect against the H1N1 (Swine) flu virus. 

It takes about 2 weeks for the antibodies, that the vaccine gets your body to produce, to provide you full protection against both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu. You can “get” the flu during that 2 week period but it does NOT mean you got the flu from the flu shot.

There are two kinds of H1N1 vaccines: 

• One is the H1N1 flu “shot” – this vaccine contains the dead virus and is given with a needle in the arm.
  • This flu shot is approved for people 6 months of age and older, including healthy people, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.
  • The same manufacturers who produce seasonal flu shots are producing 2009 H1N1 flu shots for use in the United States this season.
  • The 2009 H1N1 flu shot is being made in the same way that the seasonal flu shot is made.
• The other is a nasal spray – this vaccine is made with live, weakened viruses that do not cause the flu.
  • The same group is approved for the nasal spray vaccine as for the flu shot.
  • The flu vaccine is approved for use in healthy* people 2 years to 49 years of age who are NOT pregnant.
  • The nasal spray vaccine is being made by the same company that makes the seasonal nasal spray vaccine.
  • The 2009 H1N1 nasal spray vaccine is being made in the same way as the seasonal nasal spray vaccine.

“This new vaccine is not safe and is untested.”

This rumor is absolutely false. Clinical trials conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have shown that the new H1N1 vaccine is both safe and effective.  The FDA has licensed it.  There have been no safety shortcuts.

It is produced exactly the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is produced every year.  It is simply a new virus strain.  In fact, had H1N1 struck this country earlier than this spring, the H1N1 strain probably would have been included as part of this year’s seasonal flu shot.

Millions of Americans get the seasonal flu vaccine each year without any problems. Still, understanding that some Americans have concerns about “new” vaccines, the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have conducted more rigorous tests on the H1N1 vaccine than they do on other flu vaccines, and there have been no red flags from these clinical trials. 

Also, CDC has stepped up monitoring efforts to track the H1N1 vaccine and any possible adverse events.  Since it is so closely related to the seasonal flu vaccine, serious side effects are not expected. But all the necessary steps to promote and monitor safety are being taken.

Top doctors and scientists believe the risk of the flu, especially for pregnant women, children, and people with underlying health conditions, is higher than any risk that might come from the H1N1 vaccine.