Posted by: leandrotorez | November 5, 2009

Is the new H1N1 vaccine safe?

Question: Is the new vaccine for H1N1 (swine) flu safe? I am pregnant and am worried that if I get it, my baby might be harmed. And if I do decide to have the H1N1 vaccine, do I need to have the seasonal flu vaccine, too?

Answer: You aren’t the only person wondering whether it’s a good idea to be vaccinated for the H1N1 flu. Let’s start with the question of safety and how vaccines are made. Every year, experts predict what the most likely strains of flu will be and then develop a vaccine to target those strains. That’s why you need a new vaccine every year.

When the new H1N1 virus emerged last spring, most of the seasonal flu vaccine had already been produced. No one predicted the sudden emergence of H1N1. Because there was no time to add H1N1 to the seasonal vaccine, manufacturers made a second flu vaccine for H1N1.

Manufacturers followed the same procedures to make H1N1 vaccine that they did to make seasonal flu vaccines. Apart from the type of virus in the vaccine, the “recipe” is the same as for regular flu vaccines. That means it’s just as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine already available and carries similar risks. Volunteers who tested the vaccine experienced the same side effects as with other flu vaccines: injection-site pain, fatigue and body aches. No serious side effects have been reported.

Some people worry that they will develop the flu from a flu vaccine. However, the flu shot does not contain a live virus and cannot cause the flu. A second type of flu “vaccine,” a nasal spray, does contain a live virus, but the virus has been modified so that it cannot cause the flu. It takes about 10 days for the vaccine to work. If the virus enters your body before the vaccine has had a chance to work, you could get sick — but the vaccine is not to blame.

Your concern about your unborn baby is understandable, but the flu shot will not harm the baby. In fact, it protects your baby by protecting you. Pregnant women are at high risk for serious illness and death from any influenza virus, but especially H1N1. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges pregnant women (and many other groups of people) to get both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.

If you get the flu, you have a higher-than-average risk of developing pneumonia, which lowers the amount the oxygen in your blood. This means your fetus might not receive enough oxygen for normal development. In addition, having the flu during pregnancy increases your risk of a miscarriage or giving birth too early. And women who have a fever early in their pregnancy are more likely to deliver a baby with a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida.

You can pass the protective antibodies you develop after receiving the vaccine to your fetus. That will help protect your baby from the flu after it’s born.

Even if you can’t remember the last time you had a cold, much less the flu, you should still consider getting the vaccines. Your ability to mount an effective immune response to viruses may have worked well in the past, but that provides no guarantee of future health. And even though the H1N1 virus so far hasn’t been more dangerous, on average, than seasonal flu, it does seem to be more severe in children, healthy young adults and people under age 50, including pregnant women.

Have a question? Send it to

Harvard- adviser@hms.harvard.edu

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 29, 2009

Flu: Fact and fiction

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Why does the flu feel so bad? Seasonal flu, H1N1 swine flu ? whatever kind of influenza you get, the symptoms are similar. Much of what makes us feel bad about flu ? like fever and body aches ? is caused by the immune system’s attempts to fight infection, not the virus itself.
(Sun-Times)

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Why does the flu feel so bad? Seasonal flu, H1N1 swine flu ? whatever kind of influenza you get, the symptoms are similar. Much of what makes us feel bad about flu ? like fever and body aches ? is caused by the immune system’s attempts to fight infection, not the virus itself.

Misinformation about swine flu seems to be spreading almost as fast as the virus. Here are a few things you should know about the H1N1 virus:

A swine flu shot will keep you from getting the flu.

Fact. A flu vaccination spurs your body to develop immunity to the strains of the influenza virus that are included in the vaccine. Government health experts decide each year which strains of influenza are most likely to be prevalent that season, and the seasonal flu vaccine is produced. Similarly, the swine flu vaccine allows your body to develop immunity to the H1N1 virus, offering a great degree of protection against catching the virus — or, at least, not getting so sick from it. But a seasonal flu shot won’t protect against H1N1.

You should still get a swine flu vaccination even if you’ve had the flu.

Fact. To start, many people who think they’ve had the flu haven’t. A cold isn’t the flu. If you were ill and didn’t have a laboratory test to confirm it was influenza — and to confirm it was the H1N1 strain — doctors say it’s best to still get vaccinated. But if you have had a confirmed case of H1N1, you should have some immunity against it and, experts say, you can skip the vaccine.

You can get it from touching something an infected person touched.

Fact. Studies have shown that the influenza virus can survive and infect people for as long as two to eight hours after being deposited on a surface or object. The virus typically is spread through coughing or sneezing. But people also can become infected by touching something with the virus on it, then touching their nose or mouth.

I think I had swine flu, but it was gone in a day.

Fiction. There’s no “24-hour flu bug” — swine flu or seasonal flu.

You can catch it from someone who doesn’t seem sick.

Fact. It’s possible for people with H1N1 to infect others from the day before they show symptoms to five to seven days after, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the infectious period can be longer for some people — especially children and people with a weakened immune system.

Regular flu treatments won’t help swine flu.

Fiction. Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza can help speed recovery, no matter which strain of flu you get. They’re most effective when taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, though — which means you need to see a doctor right away.

Masks can keep you from getting infected — and spreading your infection if you are infected.

Fact — maybe. There’s limited evidence to suggest that face masks reduce the risk or spread of infection.

Swine flu is worse than seasonal flu.

Fiction. Swine flu has resulted in 1,000 deaths nationwide since it first appeared in April, the CDC says. In a typical year, seasonal flu kills 36,000 Americans. What’s different is who gets sick. Few people under 60 have natural immunity to the H1N1 virus. So younger people are at greater risk of serious complications from swine flu.

You can get swine flu from the vaccine.

Fiction. The vaccine in flu shots is made from a dead version of the H1N1 virus, and the nasal-spray version is made from a weakened version of the virus. In rare instances, the nasal-spray version of the vaccine can cause mild side-effects — such as runny nose, headache, sore throat and coughs.

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Resource – http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/1853167,CST-NWS-flu29.article

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

Swine flu emergency

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s recently revealed nuclear site is getting a visit from the outside world. A team of U.N. inspectors will visit the still unfinished uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom (kohm) to verify it is for peaceful purposes. Iran denies it is trying to make nuclear weapons.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A suicide bomber in a car has killed a police officer on a highway that runs between Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad and the city of Lahore. It’s seen as more retaliation for the army’s advance into the militant sanctuary of South Waziristan, near the Afghan border.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (seh-BEEL’-yuhs) now has authority to bypass federal rules when it comes to swine flu treatment. President Barack Obama’s declaration of a national emergency now allows speedier opening of alternative care sites to treat swine flu and keep those patients out of regular hospital emergency rooms.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Federal aid has been freed up for Puerto Rico after an explosion and fire at a fuel storage site. The White House has designated Puerto Rico an emergency zone. Some of the tanks are still burning and nearby residents have been urged to flee the toxic smoke.

SYDNEY (AP) — The usually bustling Sydney Harbor Bridge turned into a giant grassy picnic area in a tourism promotion Sunday. The bridge was covered by lawn laid specially for the morning event. It was attended by 6,000 lucky picnickers chosen in a ballot to enjoy food, music and the majestic view.

Sildenafil (Caverta) Sildenafil (Kamagra) Super ED Trial Pack Tadanafil SX (Tadanafil) Viagra Viagra Caps Viagra Oral Jelly Viagra Professional Viagra Soft Viagra Super Active Dramamine Lioresal Asacol DDAVP 2.5ml Diamox Ditropan Eldepryl Exelon Imuran Nimotop Persantine Rogaine 2% Rogaine 5% Celecoxib Deltasone Feldene Imdur Indocin Isosorbide Mononitrate Motrin Ponstel Voltarol Famvir Valtrex Accutane Bactroban 2% Benzac 2.5% Benzac 5% Dapsone Zyban Acomplia (Zimulti) Florinef Aygestin Clomid (Serophene) Diflucan Duphaston Estrace Evista Female Viagra Fosamax Gestanin Naprosyn Parlodel Premarin Provera

Resource – http://www.9and10news.com/category/story/?id=179283

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

Your swine flu jab questions answered

The first people to be vaccinated against swine flu received their jabs this week, as the national death toll rose and schools in Wales had to shut their doors for cothe first time because of the outbreak. Wales on Sunday answers your questions about the vaccine, and the latest swine flu situation

Q. How has the outbreak progressed in Wales this week?

A Two more patients with swine flu died, bringing the total Welsh death toll to seven. Describing the fatalities as “personal tragedies”, health officials said the number of deaths so far was not unexpected.

But warning of further flu-related deaths this winter, the Government predicted fewer people will be affected by the H1N1 virus – about 12% of the population or 360,000 people in Wales – than previously thought. Meanwhile two Carmarthenshire schools were forced to shut early for half-term by the outbreak, becoming the first in Wales to do so.

Q. Do the school closures mean all schools will follow suit?

A. No. Pontyberem and nearby Cefneithin primary schools closed because there were so many members of staff affected by swine flu-like symptoms.

But officials have stressed that the closure of schools is a matter for individual institutions and that mass closures are not currently being considered. Education Minister Jane Hutt has urged schools to do all they can to remain open in the face of outbreak.

Q. This week also saw the first Welsh people vaccinated against swine flu – so who exactly will be offered the jab?

A. Those most at risk of serious illness and complications from swine flu will be among the first to be offered the new vaccine.

Frontline health and social care workers will also be offered the vaccine in a bid to ensure that services can be maintained if large numbers of people fall ill with swine flu over the coming months.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has agreed that the following groups will be the first to receive the jab:

n People aged over six months and under 65 years, who are in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups;

n All pregnant women;

n household contacts of people with compromised immune systems – people in regular close contact with patients on treatment for cancer;

n and people aged 65 and over in the current seasonal flu vaccine clinical at-risk groups.

The Welsh Assembly Government estimates that 750,000 people in Wales fall into the priority and at-risk groups.

Q. Why aren’t people over 65 who are otherwise healthy being offered the vaccine?

A. This group of people are routinely offered the seasonal flu vaccine but they will NOT be offered the swine flu jab if they do not have any underlying health conditions.

This age group is not considered to be particularly at risk – the majority of people who have fallen ill are 45 and under.

Q. Will otherwise healthy adults and children be offered the swine flu vaccine?

A. The UK has ordered enough vaccines to cover the whole population but a decision has not yet been made about whether the vaccination programme will be extended beyond the current at-risk and priority groups.

Q How will I know if I’m among the priority groups first being offered the vaccine?

A. GPs will write to patients who fall within the priority groups to offer them the chance to be vaccinated. Members of the public will be given the jab at their GP surgery.

Occupational health teams will identify those frontline health and social care workers who are eligible for the vaccine.

Q. How many injections do I need to have?

A. Two vaccines made by GlaxoSmithKline (Pandemrix) and Baxter (Celvapan) have been licensed for use.

Most people who are given the GSK vaccine will only require one injection.

But children aged between six months and nine years, those people who are severely immuno-compromised, and those receiving the Celvapan jab will need two doses, three weeks apart.

It is understood that the majority of vaccines ordered in Wales have been manufactured by GSK but which vaccine people get depends on their GP and their individual circumstances.

Q. Is the vaccine safe?

A. Drug companies started making the swine flu jab almost as soon as the new H1N1 strain emerged and some clinical trials have been carried out.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the regulatory authorities for medicines have carefully examined the known and suspected risks and benefits of any vaccine before they were licensed.

And it said that the results of those trials that have so far been completed suggest that pandemic vaccines are as safe as seasonal influenza vaccines.

Side-effects are expected to be similar to those associated with seasonal flu vaccines and include reactions at the injection site and possibly some systemic reactions, such as fever, headache, muscle or joint aches.

But these should be mild and last one to two days.

WHO is advising all countries administering pandemic vaccines to conduct “intensive” monitoring for safety and to report adverse events.

Q. Why won’t the normal flu jab be enough to protect me?

A. The normal flu jab is designed to protect at-risk groups against the seasonal strains of the flu virus that circulate every winter.

It does not protect against pandemic flu.

Q. Should I still have the seasonal flu vaccine?

A. It is thought that the majority of cases of flu this winter will be caused by swine flu, rather than normal seasonal flu.

The experience of southern hemisphere countries suggests that 80% of flu was caused by the H1N1 pandemic virus.

But although there are likely to be fewer cases of seasonal flu it remains a potentially lethal virus that can be dangerous for people at risk, especially the elderly.

Q. Should I leave a gap between having the seasonal flu and swine flu jabs?

A. Advice from the Assembly Government states that the swine flu jab can be given at the same time as other vaccinations, including the seasonal flu jab.

But if two jabs are being given, it is recommended that they are given in different arms.

Q. What if I don’t want the swine flu jab?

A. Like other vaccines, the swine flu jab is not compulsory and people offered it do not have to have it.

But Dr Jewell has urged those in the priority groups, especially frontline health and social care staff to take up the offer.

Q. Do I need the jab if I’ve already had swine flu?

A. No – but only if you’re one of the 200 people in Wales to have had a positive laboratory test.

Health officials caution that some people who think they’ve had swine flu may actually have mistaken it for one of the many viruses circulating at any one time in Wales.

Q. Can I get the swine flu vaccine if I’m planning on going on holiday this winter?

A. No, unless you are offered the jab because you are in an at-risk or priority group.

Dr Hayes said: “The early supplies are being prioritised for the high-risk groups so we do not have enough vaccine to give for social reasons.”

The risk of catching swine flu is considered to be the same in the UK and abroad because the virus is the same.

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Resource – http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/10/25/your-swine-flu-jab-questions-answered-91466-25007060/

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

FDA warns of bogus swine flu products on the Internet

If there is money to be made from people’s fear or misery, there is someone who has something to sell you.The  Federal Food and Drug Administration warns many bogus products are now circulating on the Internet that falsely claim to relieve symptoms or even prevent the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Scam artists with such things as air sterilizers, supplements, face masks; shampoos and fake Tamiflu, are selling these bogus products over the Internet.  Tamiflu is a FDA-approved product made by Switzerland’s Roche Group and is currently being rationed.

A fake Tamiflu circulating on the Internet has been tested by the FDA. The agency found it to contain powered talc and generic Tylenol.

According to a FDA news release the bogus products include:

1. A shampoo that is claimed to protect people from getting the swine flu virus.
2. A dietary supplement that claims to protect infants and young children from swine flu.
3. Another supplement claims to cure swine flu with 24 to 48 hours.
4. A spray that claims to leave a layer of ionic silver on one’s hands that kill the virus on contact.
5. A very costly electronic instrument that claims to utilize “photobiotic energy” and “life force waves” to strength the immune system.

The FDA warns that these products are potentially dangerous and the companies selling them are not legitimate.

Earlier this week the FDA sent out warnings about the web site swineflugone.com, where a bogus product known as Swine Flu…Gone, produced by Secrets of Eden, is being sold. Secrets of Eden sells supplements and oils with a Biblical flair in their names.

According to the FDA, Roche Group’s Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline’s Relenza are the only drugs approved to treat the symptoms of the swine flu.

For more information: tamiflu.com http://www.tamiflu.com/treat.aspx

beasleyallen.com http://www.beasleyallen.com/news/FDA-issues-H1N1-scam-warnings/

Physorg.com http://www.physorg.com/news175451321.html

usdrugsshop.com http://usdrugsshop.com/pill/ordercheapTamifluonline

Resource – http://www.examiner.com/x-24261-Orlando-Health-Insurance-Examiner~y2009m10d24-FDA-warns-of-bogus-swine-flu-products-on-the-Internet

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

Saudi shuts two schools after swine flu deaths

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia shut two schools in Qassim province northwest of Riyadh after two students died from swine flu, a newspaper reported on Sunday quoting a government statement.

The deaths took the country’s toll from A(H1N1) virus to 39, the Arab News daily said.

Saudi Arabia has intensified its watch for swine flu outbreaks amid concern the disease could spread among some two million foreign visitors arriving over the next month for the annual hajj pilgrimage in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

The government has halted regular reporting of flu statistics, but according to a WHO figure from early September, cases in the kingdom had topped 4,000 at that time.

Resource – http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jWR7Rb795uF7Kf0zg5ojBgAlrZvw

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

‘Don’t call us, we’ll call you’, say swine flu GPs

Doctors are urging patients worried about swine flu to “don’t call us, we’ll call you”.

The first round of swine flu vaccinations started on Wednesday, with those in the health frontline getting the first jabs.

The three primary care trusts across Kent said their staff, and patients in hospital identified as most at risk of the infection, are the priority at this stage.

And over the coming week, general practitioners will see deliveries start arriving for their patients most in need.

This will include pregnant women, and patients will be contacted by practices and invited in for vaccination.

Only people who are registered with a GP and identified as in the ‘at risk’ group will be offered immunisation, so that protection is given to those who most need it.

But health chiefs say doctors are already being inundated with phone calls and visits from worried patients asking if they need the jab now.

A spokesman for all three PCTs in Kent said: “Our advice to everyone at this stage is don’t phone the doctor for the jab – they will be in touch with you.

“Of course, if there is a genuine medical problem, then by all means get in touch. But if people are thinking about the vaccines, they should wait for their GP to get in touch with them.

“Currently too much time is being taken up with calls from patients thinking they need to make appointments for the injection. This is not the case – the doctors know from their patient list who needs the jabs, so everyone should wait for their call.”
Dr Caroline Jessel, a GP in Maidstone and deputy medical director for NHS West Kent, said: “The deliveries to GPs will begin next week, but the logistics of delivering across the country mean that it will take a few weeks for all GP practices to receive the vaccine. Practices will not contact all patients immediately, as the vaccine will be offered to patients in order of clinical priority. We are requesting that members of the public wait to be offered the vaccine by their GP in order to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the system.”

It’s predicted that with the start of colder weather, the number of cases of swine flu could rise dramatically.

NHS West Kent PCT’s director of health improvement, Jackie Spiby, believes many lives could be saved.

She said: “Although west Kent has seen an increase in the past week, progress of the second wave of pandemic flu is proving to be slower than predicted.

“We may have got a lucky break with the way the virus has behaved, giving us the opportunity to get the vaccinations underway.”

And NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT’s deputy director of public health Andrew Scott-Clark added: “People should prepare themselves by stocking up on over-the-counter remedies and by identifying a flu friend – someone who does not have swine flu – who can pick up their antivirals and any other supplies for them should they become ill.”

Medway PCT’s director of public health, Dr Alison Barnett, said: “We will be vaccinating priority frontline health workers and those in at-risk groups in this stage, as the vaccine is the best protection against swine flu.

“But regardless of whether you are eligible for the vaccine, we cannot encourage everyone enough across Kent to practice good hygiene and stay warm this winter.”

The best way people can continue to protect themselves is by following good hygiene – catch coughs or sneezes in a tissue and bin tissues as soon as possible. Simply remember: Catch It, Bin It, Kill It.

Anyone suspecting they have caught it should get in touch with the National Pandemic Flu Service.

But they should go to their GP if they have a serious underlying illness, are pregnant, have a sick child under 12 months, realise their condition is suddenly getting much worse or think their condition is still getting worse after seven days, or five in the case of a child.

The flu-like illness GP consultation rates by PCT in West Kent has increased to 46.3 per 100,000 population by PCT area, for the week ending September 11, from 34.9 per 100,000 population the previous week.

Eastern and Coastal Kent has shown a small decrease this week with 21.1 per 100,000 population by PCT area compared to 28.3 per 100,000 the previous week.

And Medway has remained the same this week as compared to the previous week with 16 per 100,000 population

As of 14 October, 626 people have been admitted to hospital in connection with swine flu across the South East coast region.

There are currently 143 anti-viral collection points across Kent and Medway.

For details and advice, contact the National Pandemic Flu Service at www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu or phone 0800 1513 100.

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Resource -  http://www.yourcanterbury.co.uk/kent-news/_Don%E2%80%99t-call-us,-we%E2%80%99ll-call-you_,-say-swine-flu-GPs-newsinkent29170.aspx?news=local

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

US swine flu ‘emergency’

President Barack Obama has declared swine flu a national emergency as the US reels from millions of cases and more than 1000 deaths.

The emergency declaration allows medical officials to bypass temporarily certain federal requirements to prevent health-care resources from being overburdened. It comes just days after Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius warned that demand for the flu vaccine was outstripping supply. As Americans wait for more vaccine doses, 46 of the 50 states have reported an early flu upsurge. The flu season normally peaks in January or February.

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 25, 2009

Swine flu has hit local schoolchildren early and quite hard

About a month before the vaccine will become widely available, the swine flu is here in full force, hitting school-age children in the region especially hard.

Area schools have reported as many as 30 percent of their students absent on a given day — in some places, setting a record for the highest absentee rates in recent memory.

“We clearly have lots of children who are ill,” said Dr. Anthony J. Billittier IV, health commissioner in Erie County. “We believe H1N1 is widely circulating in Erie County.”

The prevalence of the illness here comes as President Obama on Saturday declared a national swine flu emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

Local schools appear to be the most affected. At Elmwood Franklin, a private school in Buffalo for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade, 25 percent to 32 percent of the students were absent each day last week, according to Tony Featherston, head of school.

Neither he nor anyone else at Elmwood Franklin can recall an illness that caused so many students to miss school, he said.

“It came out of the blue at us. The Friday before Columbus Day was totally normal for us,” he said. “Then we returned Tuesday, and it was totally abnormal.”

After about one week of widespread illness, the school is seeing attendance rates settle closer to normal, he said. Many public schools have reported similar experiences.

School officials say they are taking comfort in the knowledge that the spike in absences is likely to be short-lived.

Health experts are quick to emphasize that the swine flu here is generally causing mild to moderate symptoms. In rare cases, the swine flu hits harder. About 10 people in Erie County are currently hospitalized because of it, officials said.

And while no schools are likely to be closed because of the epidemic — health officials say any closure would have a limited impact on the spread — some have started taking steps to deal with the swine flu outbreak:

• The Iroquois School District, the first in Erie County to be hard-hit by the virus, has indefinitely suspended its annual perfect attendance award.

“We want to send a message that, yes, attendance is important, but if you’re sick, you should stay home,” Superintendent Neil Rochelle told the school board.

• When students at Frontier Middle School return to school after being out with a fever, they are required to take an extra step before heading back to class.

School nurses Sue Andelora and Sheryl Zielonka recently started checking temperatures when students return, to make sure their fevers have subsided. The nurses set up shop in the cafeteria, where students hand in the written notes from their parents and have their temperature taken.

“It’s a neat move,” Principal M. Kerry Courtney said.

A few students a day have been sent back home because their temperature was too high, he said.

• The Clarence schools are rethinking sending teachers to conferences and other events that are not mandatory, to avoid running into another shortage of substitute teachers like the one they experienced Friday.

Several younger teachers used family sick days Friday to care for their own sick children, Superintendent Thomas G. Coseo said, creating a higher than usual demand for substitute teachers. On top of that, four or five teachers were out of the classroom at a conference, exacerbating the situation.

Clarence High School ended up with too few substitute teachers to cover all the classes Friday. Some classes were combined, and students assembled in the library or auditorium, where students had time to do homework, he said.

“The problem is, all the districts are calling for subs at the same time,” Coseo said.

The district is considering a moratorium on conferences and other activities that pull teachers out of the classroom, probably until after winter break, he said.

Nonpublic schools are feeling the pinch, too. Rosemary J. Henry, superintendent of Catholic schools in the Buffalo diocese, said some of the schools she oversees have found themselves with too few subs, too.

“We have had cases where the principal has had to go in and teach classes for a couple of days when a teacher has been ill,” she said.

Schoolchildren at risk

The swine flu presents more of a challenge to schools than the seasonal flu usually does. Not only is it hitting earlier in the year than the seasonal flu, but school-age children seem to be more susceptible.

“The population that’s at risk is different than it is typically with the seasonal flu,” said Daniel J. Stapleton, director of Niagara County’s Health Department. “The very old and the very young are more at risk for getting seasonal flu.

“School-age children are more at risk for getting H1N1. Part of that might be that older Americans might have been exposed to a strain of this virus in the past and built up some immunity.”

It’s impossible to know, out of the thousands of students absent from school in the region on a given day, how many are suffering from swine flu.

Some parents are keeping healthy children home, for fear of exposing them to the virus. And, among the children who do have flulike symptoms, most don’t get tested. In fact, Billittier recommends that people having mild to moderate flu symptoms — a fever, plus a sore throat or runny nose — just call their doctor for a consultation, rather than going in person.

Whether it’s swine flu or the seasonal flu, the suggested treatment is generally to stay home, rest and take some medicine to reduce the fever, experts say, so there’s really no need to know exactly which type of flu it is.

Parents are advised to keep children home an extra 24 hours after their fever subsides.

Emily Johnston, a sixth-grader at Frontier Middle School, and her sister Anna, a third-grader at Big Tree Elementary, started feeling run-down and feverish early in the week. By Thursday, they were still coughing, but their fevers had subsided.

Their parents, Jeff and Patty, decided to keep them home Friday, to be safe. The girls spent much of the time taking turns on the computer, getting caught up on the work they missed.

“They can work at their own pace,” Jeff Johnston said.

Tests inconclusive

Even among people who are tested for swine flu, the most widely available tests often don’t correctly identify all the H1N1, Billittier said. The only lab in the area that can conclusively distinguish H1N1 from the seasonal flu is the lab at the Erie County Health Department, he said. The county is testing a limited number of cases each week to track the spread of swine flu.

“Of the tests that are positive, they are almost all H1N1,” he said. “There is no seasonal flu circulating in Erie County right now. People with flulike symptoms most likely have H1N1 as the cause. They may have some other virus as the cause, but they do not have seasonal flu as the cause.”

Most school officials say they have not seen a pattern in how the illness spreads. In Buffalo, though, the public schools in South Buffalo — Houghton, Discovery and Lorraine — have been hardest hit so far, according to Will Keresztes, an associate superintendent.

The first doses of swine flu vaccine arrived in the area around Oct. 7. Local officials don’t know exactly how many doses were sent to individual health care providers. Erie County government got 1,000 doses of the internasal mist. Not all of those vaccines have been given yet, Billittier said.

“Many people have contra-indications to it, or they don’t want to receive it,” he said. “It’s a live and weakened virus. People are concerned about receiving a live virus vaccine.”

A week later, the county government got 600 doses of the injectable vaccine. Officials don’t know how many more vaccine doses they’ll receive, or when.

The CDC has said there will be enough vaccine available eventually for everyone who wants it.

“It’s a question of how soon they will be shipped,” Billittier said. “We had hoped we would have much more vaccine here by this point. Now, we’re not expecting a lot of it until mid- to late-November.”

Hand washing urged

In the meantime, schools continue to encourage students to wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer, and sneeze or cough into their elbows, rather than their hands, to reduce the spread of the virus. Custodians are cleaning “high-touch” areas like doorknobs more frequently than usual.

Parents are asked to keep children home if they’re sick. And, if students get sick while they’re at school, it’s important that they aren’t stuck in the nurse’s office too long, health and school officials say.

“I know it can be a pain for parents, but as quickly as you can, pick up your kid. The better for your own child, and the better for the rest of the school, as well,” said Mark P. Mondanaro, superintendent of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda schools. “Make plans now. Please be ready, because it could happen to any kid at any time.”

Many parents and students wonder whether schools would close if too many students are absent. School officials are unanimous in their response: No. “We have no intention of closing,” said Grand Island Superintendent Robert Christmann. “You would close if you believe at the end of closing, something would be different. We don’t anticipate that would be the case.”

If schools close, children would still spend time together at home, at the playground, at the mall, or any number of other places, officials say, so the virus would still have a chance to spread.

As long as the virus is still out in the community, closing schools would have no long-term effect, experts say.

“We in essence did close schools, from June to September over summer break,” Billittier said. “Within a few weeks after schools closing, the virus was back. Closure may reduce the number of individuals affected temporarily, but it would be no help in the long term.”

mpasciak@buffnews.com

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Resource – http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/838577.html

Posted by: leandrotorez | October 16, 2009

Swine Flu Shots Revive a Debate About Vaccines

People who do not believe in vaccinating children have never had much sway over Leslie Wygant Arndt. She has studied the vaccine debate, she said, and came out in favor of having her 10-month-old daughter inoculated against childhood diseases. But there is something different about the vaccine for the H1N1 flu, she said.

“I have looked at the people who are against it, and I find myself taking their side,” said Ms. Wygant Arndt, who lives in Portland, Ore. “But then again I go back and forth on this every day. It’s an emotional topic.”

Anti-vaccinators, as they are often referred to by scientists and doctors, have toiled for years on the margins of medicine. But an assemblage of factors around the swine flu vaccine — including confusion over how it was made, widespread speculation about whether it might be more dangerous than the virus itself, and complaints among some health care workers in New York about a requirement that they be vaccinated — is giving the anti-vaccine movement a fresh airing, according to health experts.

“Nationally right now there is a tremendous amount of attention on this vaccine,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, the New York City health commissioner. That focus has given vaccine opponents “an opportunity to speak out publicly and get their message amplified that they didn’t have at other times,” he said.

Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center, an advocacy group that questions the safety of vaccines, said the swine flu has “breathed new life” into the cause. “People who have never asked questions before about vaccines are looking at this one,” Ms. Fisher said.

The increased interest is frustrating to health officials, who are struggling to persuade an already wary public to line up for shots and prevent the spread of the pandemic. According to a CBS News poll conducted last week, only 46 percent said they were likely to get the vaccine. The nationwide poll, which has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points, found that while 6 in 10 parents were likely to have their children vaccinated, less than half said they were “very likely to.”

“I wonder if the people disseminating this false information about this vaccine realize that what they are doing could result in some people losing their lives,” said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the director of the Department of Public Health for Los Angeles County. The comments of vaccine dissenters, which he said “politically come from the left and the right,” were frequently “not just counterproductive,” he said, “but downright disgraceful.”

Web sites, Twitter feeds, talk radio and even elevator chatter are awash with skeptics criticizing the vaccine, largely with no factual or scientific basis. The most common complaint is that the vaccine has been newly formed and quickly distributed without the benefit of clinical trials; in fact, the swine flu vaccine was made using the same techniques as seasonal flu shots over the last two decades, and a small number of clinical trials were conducted this year to determine the adequate dose.

There are also claims that the vaccine contains adjuvants — sometimes added to make vaccines more effective — although they have not been used in this one. In addition, there is fear that the vaccine could lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, as was suspected the last time a swine flu vaccine was distributed, in 1976; flu vaccines are now much purer than they were, minimizing the risk, and Guillain-Barré is far rarer.

In measuring the risk of the vaccine, there is general consensus among doctors that serious adverse reactions are rare and that pregnant women and young people, in particular, are better off with the vaccine than without it. While most people who get H1N1 experience mild symptoms, a recent New England Journal of Medicine study showed that among Americans hospitalized with swine flu last spring, one in four ended up in intensive care and 7 percent of them died.

The illness, unlike other flu strains, has been particularly tough on children and young adults and appears to have a disproportionately high fatality rate in pregnant women.

Health care officials are concerned that some groups, especially pregnant women, are potentially swayed by the large-scale efforts of vaccine opponents.

“One of the things they are focusing on now is immunization and pregnancy,” said Saad B. Omer, assistant professor of global health at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, “and their perceptions of the vaccine in use of pregnant women. It is not a benign perception in this case, and could have serious impacts, because pregnant women have high risk of complication if they get the swine flu.”

The anti-vaccine movement, largely comprising activists and a handful of doctors and researchers who connect a variety of health problems — particularly autism spectrum disorders — to vaccines, has failed to find large-scale traction in the United States, where more than 90 percent of children are vaccinated.

But at a conference this month of National Vaccine Information Center, Ms. Fisher said, there were 675 people, more than double the number at the group’s last conference, and half said they were there to discuss swine flu. Unlike most people associated with the center, who have longstanding objections to vaccines or have a connection to the issue because of an autistic child, the newcomers were not traditional skeptics, Ms. Fisher said. “They came not knowing much,” she said, “and left galvanized.”

Further, vitamin vendors — who in some cases operate blogs, with postings by people who claim to be doctors finding fault with vaccines — are reporting an increase in sales related to swine flu. Michael Angelo, chief research and information officer for eVitamins.com, said sales in September for flu-related products had tripled from last September. The company, he said, has sold 17,565 vitamins that it says protects against the H1N1 virus.

Some anti-vaccine groups are also highly organized and quick to respond to openings to promote their message. For instance, this week, an 8-year-old boy from Long Island died roughly a week after receiving a swine flu vaccine, though officials from the New York State Department of Health denied a connection.

Almost instantly, on a memorial page on Newsday’s Web site for the boy, Sean Weisse, a message from an anti-vaccine advocacy group appeared: “We are so sorry to hear about Sean. My understanding, and forgive me if I’m wrong, is that this was a vaccine-related injury. If so, we would like to help you. Best regards, Stan Kurtz, Generation Rescue, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy’s Organization.”

Avapro Bactroban Cipro Claritin Coreg Crestor Detrol Dilantin Evista Hyzaar Lopressor Luvox Mevacor Myambutol Pravachol Prevacid Ibuprofen Prograf Sustiva Zantac Valtrex Accutane Alesse Ampicillin Albenza Amoxil Avandia Aygestin Bactrim Coumadin Diltiazem Cytotec Ditropan Levoxyl Lioresal Neomercazole Norimin Norplant Ovral Vastarel Aciphex Actos Altace Astelin Atarax Benzac Biaxin Carafate Casodex Clarinex Cleocin Colospa Diamox Differin DiltiazemHCl Duphalac Duphaston Duricef Emulgel Epivir

Resource – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/health/16vaccine.html

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