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H1N1 outbreak waning in state, county still waiting for vaccines
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By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
and T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter
“We’ve received enough vaccines to go ahead with limited flu shot clinics in the schools. We have been conducting clinics in La Crescent, Spring Grove, Caledonia and Houston, but only to pre-school and kindergarten-aged students,” Houston County Public Health Nursing Director Deb Rock said last Thursday. “We plan to have the school flu shot clinics completed before Thanksgiving.
Until the county receives a major shipment of H1N1 vaccines, Rock said her department will continue the “phase one” mode. Only pregnant women, persons over 55 who live or work in homes where infants and young children are present, children from ages six months to four years and persons with mitigating health issues, are included in the “phase one” category.
“The numbers have dropped considerably throughout the state,” Rock noted, referring to the number of H1N1 cases. “That’s a good sign. We are definitely in a valley. But we could see another peak this winter,” she warned.
Outbreaks of flu-like illness in Minnesota schools has decreased for a third week in a row, having Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) officials speculating that the second wave of novel H1N1 is receding.
“I am optimistic that we are on the downswing of our second wave,” said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist.
During the week of Nov. 8-14, just nine Minnesota schools reported outbreaks of flu-like symptoms among students, according to MDH.
The week before, the number stood at 40. In late October, more than 120 schools were included on the list.
Lynfield cautioned that the second wave of H1N1 — the first wave peaking in June — could linger for weeks more.
People still need to get vaccinated, continue to take precautions like frequent hand washing, covering coughs, staying home when sick, MDH officials stress.
Possible third wave
It’s possible a third wave of H1N1 could roll over the state. But MDH officials aren’t speculating. “That is really hard to say,” said Lynfield of predicting an arrival.
Rather than H1N1, the next wave of flu appearing in the state could be seasonal flu, she pointed out. Seasonal flu often begins to appear around December, Lynfield noted.
Although MDH officials call the arrival of the H1N1 vaccine shipments into the state as “fluid,” some 825,000 doses of the vaccine have been shipped to the state by the federal government.
Records show that some 92,000 Minnesotans have been vaccinated, but MDH Director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Kristen Ehresmann indicated the actual number is likely considerably higher. Reporting is lagging behind, she explained.
718,000 Minnesotans in high risk group
The MDH estimates that about 718,000 Minnesotans fall into the high-risk group for H1N1, but speak in terms of more than two million Minnesotans needing to be vaccinated.
Besides decreasing numbers of outbreaks in schools, another indicator that the second wave of H1N1 is diminishing is the Minnesota FluLine. Since the flu line began taking calls on Oct. 21, some 22,000 calls have been received.
About half were taken the first week of flu line operations, said Terri Hyduke, chief executive officer, Children’s Physician Network. The network is involved in flu line operations.
Shorter waits
Although the media reported that some callers to the flu line had to wait for hours to talk to a nurse, Hyduke said callers now need to wait as little as five minutes. The flu line number is 1-866-259-4655.
Besides outbreaks in nine schools, the MDH also reports two outbreaks of flu in long term care facilities — officials sense that all the recent outbreaks in these facilities have been H1N1. They do not believe the seasonal flu is yet in Minnesota.
Five flu-related deaths were confirmed the second week of November, all occurring in Greater Minnesota counties. Since Sept. 1, there has been 1,439 confirmed H1N1 hospitalizations in the state.
“We will continue to receive more doses of the H1N1 vaccine,” Rock noted. “At some point, we should have enough so provide vaccines for anyone who wants one,” she concluded.
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