2009 Flu Season, Including H1N1 (Swine) Flu
Hello,
So the flu season is among us, even though most of us will unlikely get it, more likely we’ll just get colds. Many
people have been asking me my opinion on this years flu, so here it is.
From my understanding, the majority of cases of H1N1 have been mild, with symptoms similar to the regular
seasonal flu; being quite sick, in bed, with a fever, really tired, really achy and sore, and really not wanting or
being able to get out of bed during this time…the flu is not mild when it happens – which is why it is infrequent
actually. Most of us have maybe only had the real flu very infrequently.
So the H1N1 does seem to be more contagious than the regular flu, without a doubt. So this means more
people will get the H1N1 than people getting flu in usual flu seasons, but I’m not clear on whether it is actually
more worrisome than the regular flu. Sure we’ve heard of people dying, but people can die with the regular flu
also; it can have rare, though severe complications.
Prevention:
Hand washing, mask wearing (if you’re around sneezers or coughers), or if you are sneezing or coughing, and
eating a healthy diet, staying in shape, and getting enough rest are all the most important preventative actions.
Astragalus is an herb that is a known immune supporter from the Chinese medicine tradition; it could be taken
once per day, or put in tea or soup daily. It should NOT be taken if you are feeling sick or unwell.
I have heard supplementing with Vitamin D can maybe be linked with preventing flu, so it could be worthwhile to
check your levels, or to supplement. It’s a good idea anyways in the Pacific Northwest. An adult dose is 1,000-
2,000 units of Vitamin D3.
Vaccination:
There are live and inactivated versions of the vaccine. Www.flu.gov has guidelines on who should have which
type. Some may have thimersol (mercury), so if you wanted to avoid that, you should ask before you get a
shot/spray vaccine.
I am a bigger supporter of prevention than I am of a flu vaccine, though for people at higher risk it would make
sense to get a shot. The question of vaccination is always a hard one: on one hand, it’s probably good to get
the flu every once in a while, on the other hand, who would volunteer to get the flu. I would respect a person’s
decision to fall on the conservative side and get a flu shot, or a person’s decision to try to stay healthy and not
get a flu shot. At the same time, the vaccine is only against certain strains of the flu, and the virus could mutate
and the vaccine could be ineffective.
One thing to note is that so far, almost all the cases of flu being reported are the H1N1 variety, so getting the
regular seasonal flu shot seems a little less important to me this year.
I may get some doses of both the regular and H1N1 flu shots to administer to patients, but it may be in later
October or November. My supplier does not have any yet. I don’t have a strong preference on injectable or
nasal mist versions; if you would like to get your shot earlier, your local pharmacy will likely be first among those
receiving the vaccines.
Per Up to Date, a medical database which reviews research and expert opinions, the most common symptoms
of the 2009 H1N1 flu have been: fever, cough, sore throat, malaise (feeling bad in general), and headache;
vomiting and diarrhea have also been common, both of which are unusual features of seasonal influenza.
Other frequent findings have included chills, myalgias (muscle pains), and arthralgias (joint pains).
Here is some more basic info on flu from Up to date:
http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?
topicKey=~bHQ3GyAA8XKh8H&selectedTitle=1~150&source=search_result
Here are the CDC’s recommendations (http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/) on who should receive H1N1 vaccine:
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the
population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These target groups include
pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and
emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people
ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders
or compromised immune systems.
We do not expect that there will be a shortage of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, but availability and demand can be
unpredictable. There is some possibility that initially the vaccine will be available in limited quantities. In this
setting, the committee recommended that the following groups receive the vaccine before others: pregnant
women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency
medical services personnel with direct patient contact, children 6 months through 4 years of age, and children 5
through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.
The committee recognized the need to assess supply and demand issues at the local level. The committee
further recommended that once the demand for vaccine for these target groups has been met at the local level,
programs and providers should begin vaccinating everyone from ages 25 through 64 years. Current studies
indicate the risk for infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups.
Therefore, as vaccine supply and demand for vaccine among younger age groups is being met, programs and
providers should offer vaccination to people over the age of 65.