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Swine Flu

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CDC estimates swine flu toll at 22 million sickened, nearly 4,000 killed since April 11/14/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) -- Estimates of deaths caused by the swine flu have grown to nearly 4,000 since April, roughly quadrupling previous estimates. But that doesn't mean swine flu suddenly has worsened. Continue to story
State shifts flu vaccine priority to higher risk 11/14/09 - PORTLAND (AP) — The Oregon swine flu vaccination program is shifting priority toward children and adults considered at higher risk because of underlying or chronic medical conditions. Continue to story
County is out of seasonal flu vaccine 11/12/09 - Coos County Public Health expects to receive more doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine in the coming weeks, but the agency won’t be getting any more seasonal flu vaccine until next fall. Continue to story
Poll: Few find, get flu inoculations 11/09/09 - ATLANTA — Only about a third of adults who have tried to get a swine flu vaccine have been able to get it, according to a new national poll. Continue to story
Some who get vaccine not in high-risk groups 10/30/09 - LOS ANGELES — It was bound to happen: Some people who aren’t at high risk for swine flu complications got the much-in-demand vaccine. Continue to story
China to lift import ban on U.S. pork 10/30/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese officials have agreed to lift the ban on U.S. pork imports they imposed last spring out of fear of swine flu. Continue to story
Second wave of H1N1 flu could hit 10/27/09 - COOS BAY — Oregon is preparing for four times as many influenza cases this year, because of the emergence of the new H1N1 strain. That could mean four times as many hospitalizations and four times as many deaths. Continue to story
Hospital takes precautions for H1N1 flu 10/20/09 - Bay Area Hospital is restricting visitors into the labor and delivery ward to prevent the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus Continue to story
Swine flu vaccine arrives in state slowly 10/18/09 - SALEM (AP) — Along with the rest of the country, the swine flu vaccine is arriving slower than expected in Oregon. Continue to story
H1N1 is hitting hard 10/18/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) — As the swine flu outbreak strikes the U.S. early and hard, health officials note a worrisome number of child deaths and warn that supplies of vaccine will remain scarce for at least the next couple of weeks. Continue to story
H1N1 is hitting hard 10/16/09 - The bug is partially to blame for hundreds of absences at area schools. But unlike in the spring, when school officials sent students home when one suspected case of swine flu appeared at North Bend High School, classes have stayed in session despite the bug’s arrival. Continue to story
Latest Coos County swine flu Q&A 10/15/09 - Here are answers for frequently asked questions about the H1N1 vaccine. Continue to story
Demand high for flu vaccine, more arriving 10/14/09 - PORTLAND (AP) — Demand is already high for seasonal flu vaccine in Oregon but health officials say more vaccine will be arriving through November. Continue to story
Vaccines are available for county residents 10/14/09 - Coos County has doses of the H1N1 vaccine, in the form of a nose spray, and it has been distributed to medical clinics and the Health Department. Continue to story
Vaccines are available for county residents 10/13/09 - Absences are not as widespread among students in the Coos Bay School District. There were 80 students absent Monday at Sunset Middle School, where the student body is 450, a secretary said. And there was a similar number of absences at Millicoma Intermediate School, though in both cases not all those absences were due to illness. Continue to story
Squirts for squirts: Oregon gets swine flu vaccines 10/07/09 - PORTLAND The youngster yawned, rubbed her eyes and squirmed some in her mother s arms but didn t seem uneasy about the news cameras bearing down on her, getting ready to record one of the first swine flu vaccinations in Oregon. Continue to story
Ducking the Flu 10/05/09 - EUGENE (AP) With classes getting started at the University of Oregon, signs of influenza abound on campus. Bottles of hand-sanitizing gel are stationed strategically in dormitories, libraries and other gathering spots. Continue to story
Ducking the Flu 10/02/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) - The long-awaited first vaccinations against swine flu - the squirt-in-the-nose kind - begin early next week in parts of the country, and states are urging people to be patient until more arrives. Continue to story
First swine flu vaccines expected soon 10/01/09 - PORTLAND - Swine flu vaccinations are expected to begin shortly in Oregon. The first shipments of a nasal spray are expected by Monday, with injectable vaccines to follow soon. Continue to story
Swine flu school closures could cost billions 09/30/09 - Closing schools and day care centers because of swine flu could cost between $10 billion and $47 billion, a report by the Brookings Institution think tank found. Continue to story
H1N1 found in Coos County 09/28/09 - Coos County has had its first case of the bug known as swine flu.

With the flu season gaining speed, health officials expect to confirm more cases of H1N1 influenza soon. Continue to story
Immune system is cause for two shots 09/18/09 - GENEVA (AP) - Global production of swine flu vaccines will be "substantially less" than the previous maximum forecast of 94 million doses a week, the World Health Organization said today. Continue to story
Immune system is cause for two shots 09/08/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) - Why do scientists warn it may take two doses of vaccine to protect against swine flu when one dose is the norm in a regular flu season? Blame your naive immune system. Continue to story
Novartis swine flu vaccine may work on fewer doses 09/03/09 - BARCELONA, Spain - Swiss drugmaker Novartis said today one of its swine flu vaccines may work with just one dose, rather than two as previously expected, yet another finding that could potentially boost global supplies. Continue to story
Seasonal flu shots available from county 08/31/09 - Coos County Public Health has flu vaccine available for adults and children 6 months of age and older. The shots are by appointment and will bill to Medicare, Oregon Health Plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oregon and Pacific Source insurance. Continue to story
Influenza's influence 08/31/09 - WASHINGTON - The alarm sounded with two sneezy children in California in April. Just five months later, the never-before-seen swine flu has become the world's dominant strain of influenza, and it's putting a shockingly younger face on flu. Continue to story
Back to school, back to swine flu 08/31/09 - LONDON - As schools around the world reopen, health authorities are bracing for a major spike in swine flu. Continue to story
Study says kids best vaccine candidates 08/24/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) - New research says the best way to protect society's most vulnerable from the flu: Vaccinate school-age children and their parents. Continue to story
Governor readies state for flu pandemic 08/22/09 - SALEM - As many as two out of five Oregonians are expected to come down with the flu this fall and winter, prompting the state to prepare for the possibility of an epidemic that would close schools and threaten the economy, officials said Friday. Continue to story
South Africa health chief: Swine flu to hit hard 08/11/09 - JOHANNESBURG (AP) - South Africa's health minister says that while swine flu has arrived late to the continent, it may hit harder here than elsewhere in the world. Continue to story
WHO: Swine flu vaccine on track 08/10/09 - LONDON - Swine flu vaccine manufacturers are on track to start delivering the first batches of it in September, the World Health Organization said Thursday. Continue to story
North American summit aims at developing swine flu plan 08/10/09 - GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) - President Barack Obama's first North American summit is proving it's a lot easier to agree on battling a killer flu virus than to untangle knotty disputes over cross-border trade. Continue to story
Government reassures schools on staying open with flu 08/07/09 - WASHINGTON (AP) - The government said today that schools should only close this fall if large numbers of students have swine flu, and could allow their sick kids to return 24 hours after a fever is gone. Continue to story
CDC: Swine flu deaths reaches 353 08/03/09 - ATLANTA (AP) - Health officials say their count of U.S. swine flu deaths has risen to 353 and swine-flu associated hospitalizations have grown to more than 5,500. Continue to story
Pregnant women may be among first to get swine flu shots 07/28/09 - ATLANTA (AP) - Swine flu has been hitting pregnant women unusually hard, so they are likely to be among the first group advised to get a new swine flu shot this fall Continue to story
Flu chief: Pandemic in early stages 07/24/09 - GENEVA - The global swine flu epidemic is still in its early stages, even though reports of more than 100,000 infections in England alone last week are plausible, the World Health Organization's flu chief said today. Continue to story
Swine flu: Will there be shots? 07/23/09 - WASHINGTON - Attention is shifting to the world's five leading flu vaccine makers: How fast are they really producing swine flu vaccine, and just how do they plan to test that it works? Continue to story
Global death toll from swine flu now over 700 07/21/09 - GENEVA (AP) -- The worldwide death toll from swine flu has doubled in the past month, reaching over 700 since the start of the outbreak last spring, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Continue to story
Oregon county says flu taking no summer break 07/19/09 - EUGENE (AP) - Lane County authorities say swine flu hasn't taken the summer off. Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend has treated 13 patients for pneumonia, a complication of influenza, including five who are sick enough to be admitted to the intensive care unit, said Administrator Jill Hoggard-Green. Continue to story
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Dr. Tyson Column
FAQ: About H1N1 Vaccine Published: Monday, October 12, 2009

When can I get an H1N1 swine flu vaccination?

Coos County got its first shipment on October 5th. Additional shipments will come each week. Vaccine is being shipped to the Health Department, medical clinics, hospitals, and the Indian tribes. The Health Department is coordinating the vaccine orders for Coos County through the state public health office. The State submits their order to the CDC, which collates the orders and allots vaccine doses in proportion to each state's population.

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What is the Swine Flu?

Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.

Courtesy CDC

Vaccine Side Effects

As vaccine-preventable infectious diseases continue to decline, people have become increasingly concerned about the risks associated with vaccines. Furthermore, technological advances and continuously increased knowledge about vaccines have led to investigations focused on the safety of existing vaccines which have sometimes created a climate of concern.

Allegations regarding vaccine-related adverse events that are not rapidly and effectively dealt with can undermine confidence in a vaccine and ultimately have dramatic consequences for immunization coverage and disease incidence.

Alternatively, vaccine-associated adverse events may affect healthy individuals and should be promptly identified to allow additional research and appropriate action to take place.

What are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

Courtesy CDC

Resources

Prevention

NEW YORK (AP) - A swine flu outbreak appears to have killed dozens in Mexico and more cases are showing up in the United States and around the world. Health officials are recommending several steps to prevent the spread of the virus:

  • If you have flu symptoms, stay home from work or school to avoid spreading the disease. Do not return until two days after your symptoms are gone.
  • Wash your hands often and cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.
  • Go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing; but if your symptoms are mild, stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others at the hospital.
  • Masks may be recommended for health care workers, family members and others who come in close contact with swine flu patients, but there is no need for the general public to wear masks.
  • It is safe to eat properly handled pork. Cook it to at least 160F.

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