Davis: 'Seasonal swine flu not over'
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By SUSAN ALLEN TIMES ARGUS STAFF - Published: March 8, 2010
MONTPELIER Although the number of swine flu cases in Vermont is on the wane, state health officials on Thursday advised people to continue seeking the vaccine and take precautions against the H1N1 and seasonal flu.
In a media briefing, Health Commissioner Wendy Davis said three Vermonters had died from complications of the H1N1 virus, which was first detected in Vermont last April. Although the names of those flu victims will not be publicly released, all three were described as being adults suffering from other medical complications, placing them at high risk for the disease.
Davis said 149 people were hospitalized, some for lengthy stays.
"Was this flu much ado about nothing?" Davis asked rhetorically. "The answer is simply no."
She said the H1N1 flu, commonly called swine flu, was problematic for several reasons. Unlike seasonal flu, the H1N1 hit young people who had built up no natural immunity to this new strain hardest; in addition, vaccine that was rapidly developed to fight H1N1 was initially in short supply.
Davis said the flu was widespread. The week of Nov. 7, 2009, for example, 13 percent of people visiting their physician's office were complaining of flu-like symptoms, "double the numbers we would see in a regular flu season."
Swine flu activity hit its peak between Oct. 18 and Dec. 5, the department said.
Davis said the vaccination effort was unprecedented, with 195,898 Vermonters vaccinated against the H1N1 virus as of Feb. 27, one-third of the state's population. In neighboring New Hampshire, about 23 percent of people received flu vaccines, Davis said.
Particularly challenging was the wide-scale effort to vaccinate Vermont children through their schools.
"Our goal was simple, to reach as many children as possible," the commissioner said, noting that about 75,000 in that age group (5 to 18 years old). "Flu spreads more easily in a school."
There are tens of thousands of vaccine doses still available in Vermont, and free vaccinations can be obtained at any of the 12 Health Department district offices around the state, Davis said. Some of those vaccines will expire in the coming months, while most will remain active for a longer period.
In fact, as the press briefing was being held on the third floor of the Health Department building in downtown Burlington, a vaccination clinic was being held with staff and faculty of the Community College of Vermont in a different area of the building.
Also impressive, Davis said, was the public's efforts to protect itself from the flu, mentioning that it's not unusual now to see a young child sneeze into his or her elbow to prevent the spread of the virus.
Davis said the department would remain vigilant in tracking flu cases to spot for worrisome indicators that the disease might be returning. And, she said, going forward the department will also reinforce the key message: cover your cough, wash your hands, and stay home if you're sick.
The department held weekly briefings during the peak H1N1 season last fall and winter, but discontinued those regular updates as the cases began to decrease. Thursday's briefing was hopefully the department's last on this particular disease.
Davis was asked whether she felt relieved that the worst-case scenarios put forward in the early days of the pandemic had not materialized.
"It's probably difficult to quantify my level of concern," Davis said. "I was extremely concerned at the outset and I just never take influenza lightly. It's so unpredictable. It's just so unpredictable in terms of the type of illness the virus causes, the spread of illness.
"I take some comfort that the numbers are down at this point, but we all remain vigilant and won't let our guard down," Davis added. "There is perhaps some reason to expect that these strains can change in ways we can't predict."
For more information on H1N1 and seasonal flu, visit www.healthvermont.gov.
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