IH dealing with H1N1 confusion
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Updated: November 03, 2009 5:32 PM
There may be a shortage of the vaccine but there’s no shortage of the flu.
“We’re seeing H1N1 here, I think it’s everywhere really,” said Kirstine Hill, local health administrator Friday. “We saw an increase mid week with people looking for treatment or reassurance that everything’s OK. There is a lot of anxiety, just because it’s different and it’s so widespread.”
Hill says the volume of people knocked down by the flu is up over the usual seasonal influenza outbreaks, and while IH is not testing everyone, the ones that are being tested are overwhelmingly positive for the swine flu.
She says Dr. Andrew Larder, the health authority’s senior medical health officer, told participants in a conference call Friday that H1N1 is “the only game in town.”
Hill says she understands the confusion surrounding who should get what vaccine, when, and how many shots will do increases anxiety.
“It’s constantly changing and that’s part of the problem,” she says of the situation surrounding swine flu. “People don’t know what to believe.”
Originally dictating that pregnant women and children should be given only non-adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine without squalene, a component that increases stimulation of the immune system, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday that it was now considered safe for pregnant women to get the adjuvanted vaccine.
The WHO news release also indicated that children don’t need two injections to be protected as previously announced.
There is controversy too surrounding the availability of the vaccine and cancellation of immunization clinics.
Vancouver has held numerous flu clinics, while clinics are just rolling out to many B.C. Interior communities including Sicamous, where an immunization clinic is scheduled for today, Nov. 4, at the Senior’s Activity Centre from 9 to 11:30 a.m. A third clinic scheduled for Salmon Arm on Saturday has been cancelled by Interior Health.
“Yes, the clinics were cancelled over concerns that there may not be enough vaccine,” said IH Public Health communications rep Lannea Parfitt. “However, a clinic is still planned for Salmon Arm on the 10th. The details around that clinic will be posted on our website this Wednesday.”
Vaccine availability is the reason the health region is posting clinics on their website, www.interiorhealth.ca, one week at a time.
Meanwhile, several Bastion Place residents who are suffering flu-like symptoms have been tested and staff were awaiting the results Monday.
“They are in private rooms, nothing has been confirmed yet,” said Mark Pugh, clinical and support service manager for Shuswap Lake General Hospital. “Even if we only have a suspicion, we go into a bit more of an advanced housekeeping mode, wiping door knobs, handrails, etc.”
Speaking on behalf of Hill, who is away this week, Pugh says there was “an increase, but not a substantial one,” of people going to emergency with flu-like symptoms on the weekend.
Hill meanwhile said Friday that as far as she was aware there have not yet been any more deaths from H1N1 at the hospital.
Differences
between colds and flu
Knowing whether an individual has a cold or the H1N1 can sometimes be determined by symptoms, which are posted on the Internet at FamilyDoctor.org.
Unlike colds, in which fever is rare, 80 per cent of all flu cases are accompanied by fever, often 100ºF for three to four days.
While coughs due to colds are mucus-producing and stuffy, sneezing noses are common, the flu is marked by a dry cough and clear nose, and the slight body aches associated with a cold are usually severe with the flu.
In terms of onset, a cold may develop over days while the flu has a rapid onset between three to six hours, hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Uncommon in most colds, a severe headache is often a feature of the flu, as is chest discomfort.
Information is provided by the B.C. government at 8-1-1 on the phone or online at www.HealthLinkBC.ca.
For further updates on immunization clinics and for those not in high-risk immunization groups, see www.interiorhealth.ca.
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