Personal Health, influenza

Influenza Season 2009-10

If it seems that the 2008-09 influenza season was unusually long, perhaps it is just that we have had artificially short influenza seasons in past years. This year was marked by a generous supply of influenza vaccine, expanded recommendations from the CDC for who should receive vaccine, and a push to continue providing vaccine after the initial fall period traditionally associated with "flu" season.

H1N1 (Swine Flu)

The world was rocked in late March 2009 when a new strain of Influenza A virus was first detected in Mexico, followed by cases in the United States. It is unknown whether humans have natural immunity. This novel strain consisted of genetic elements from four different viruses: North American swine influenza, avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza typically found in Asia and Europe. Infected pigs act as a mixing pot in which re-assortment occurs between flu viruses of several species, in this case pig and human.

National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month and serves as an opportune time to review some of the current issues in the immunization field. Novel and pertinent developments include the threat of pandemic influenza, adolescent immunizations, a new vaccine for the elderly population, and the mumps outbreak in the Midwest.

Avian Influenza/Pandemic Influenza

Handwashing

Influenza (flu) season is underway in many parts of the country. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that every year 5–20 percent of the U.S. population gets this very contagious and potentially life-threatening illness. CDC also estimates that as many as 200,000 persons will be hospitalized because of flu-related complications, and up to 36,000 people will die from flu.

H?N?: Prepare Before it Arrives!

“For the first time in human history, we have a chance to prepare ourselves for a pandemic before it arrives …. It is incumbent upon the global community to act now.” Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General, WHO

In the last century we had three flu pandemics: Spanish flu in 1918, Asian flu in 1957, and Hong Kong flu in 1968. In the United States, the Spanish flu killed more people than all the combat deaths of the 20th century, with more than 500,000 deaths in the United States and 20–40 million worldwide.