Influenza (Flu) Updates:
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Tanner Health System will offer Community H1N1 Vaccination Clinics on Dec. 15, 17 and 29. Details are provided below.
Georgia H1N1 Hotlines
Georgia Public Health has set up toll-free Influenza Assistance and Reporting Hotlines for Georgia citizens and clinicians:
- Hotline for Community Residents: 1-888-H1N1 INFO (or 1-888-416-14636)
- Hotline for Clinicians: 1-888-H1N1 MED (or 1-888-416-1633)
State Activity
- Georgia is reporting regional influenza activity.
- For the week ending Nov. 21, 2009, 4.72% of patient visits were for influenza-like illness.
- Most cases were in persons aged 0 to 4 years.
- Since Aug. 30, 2009, 464 hospitalizations and 37 deaths due to influenza (seasonal and H1N1 2009) were reported in Georgia residents.
Local Activity
- Confirmed and suspected H1N1 cases have been reported in Carroll and Haralson counties. At this time, the disease still appears to be mostly mild to moderate in nature in most persons.
- We have seen episodes of severe illness in young to middle aged adults with very minor medical problems. This leads real credibility to the seriousness of the situation, as well as the need for as many people who are inclined to get vaccinated for not only the seasonal flu but also the novel H1N1 this year.
Testing and Treatment
- For our area, H1N1 testing by the Georgia Public Health Lab is only being performed on patients admitted to ICU in the hospital at this time.
- The CDC updated antiviral treatment recommendations on Oct. 19, 2009, recommending treatment for those patients who are at greatest risk of flu related death in a timely manner. Not all patients with suspected influenza or H1N1 need to be treated.
Vaccination
- The seasonal flu vaccine is currently available from several providers in the local area, but some offices have already run out of vaccine. This is because several offices have not yet received their complete order from the manufacturer. Additional shipments may not be available until November, because manufacturers are making both seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine.
- H1N1 inactivated vaccine is available at many Tanner Medical Group clinics.
- At this time, only one H1N1 vaccine may be required for persons 10 years and older. Two doses may be required for persons 9 years and younger.
- H1N1 vaccine may be available from health departments, some medical offices, and many chain stores, such as Kroger, Publix, Winn-Dixie, CVS, Walgreens, etc.
- The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines have not been associated with any unexpected adverse events or possible side effects.
- Tanner Health System is offering Community H1N1 Vaccination Clinics. Please see below.
Community Information
Tanner will be offering H1N1 influenza vaccine to all persons over the age of 6 months.
- Community H1N1 Vaccination Clinics will be available as follows:
- Tuesday, Dec. 15 and Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009, from
4 to 7 p.m. in Conference Room B at Higgins General Hospital in Bremen.
(Located just inside the hospital from the parking lot along Carrollton
Street.)
- Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and 4 to 7 p.m. in Classroom 2 in the Health Education and Wellness Learning Center at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton. (Located just inside the hospital main entrance along Dixie Street.)
- Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, from 1 to 7 p.m. in Classrooms A and B in the Education and Conference Center at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica. (Located on the third floor of the VillaWest medical office building adjacent to the hospital.)
