New H1N1 illness cases fall to normal flu levels

David Gulliver - posted 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11

For the first time since the H1N1 swine flu spiked this fall, the number of new cases now appear to have fallen to normal levels of flu-like illness.

“We should be cautiously optimistic,” said Scott Pritchard, county epidemiologist, in a briefing for reporters Friday.

But he pointed to the county’s fifth death from the illness, reported Monday, as a sign that the flu was still present and still dangerous. And past flu pandemics indicate there is potential for more waves of the illness, he said.

Flu-like illness accounted for about 2 percent of emergency room cases this week. That’s another slight decline from the week before, and is essentially level with the percentage of flu cases reported during the same week last year.

The percentage of positive lab tests for the flu virus also continues an overall decline, as does the number of illnesses in county schools. As with last week, there were no reported outbreaks in county schools.

County residents appear to be heeding the message of caution. About 3,500 people showed up for last Saturday’s vaccination clinics, said Chuck Henry, who heads the county’s flu response.

The county has received some 87,000 doses of the vaccine, of the 116,000 expected at this point, and almost all of it has been used, he said. The county has about 3,000 doses of injectable vaccine on hand and another 2,000 doses of the FluMist inhalable vaccine.

That will be available for free for all people over 6 months of age at clinics starting next week at the county Health Department’s sites. There also are numerous private providers offering walk-in vaccination clinics, where there may be a fee for administering the vaccine. Check the county’s website, here, for details.