Local health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated after a dozen probable cases of the H1N1 flu virus were treated in Donley County last week.
“We in Clarendon need to be aware that H1N1 is here and will be spreading,” said Dr. John C. Howard of Clarendon Family Medical Center.
Last week, 12 local patients tested positive for influenza.
“We have not seen any seasonal flu at this point,” Howard said. “If you have a positive test now, it’s probably H1N1.”
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, most of the population has some resistance to the seasonal flu virus, but this is not the case for the new H1N1 virus, which is commonly called the swine flu. State health officials are encouraging people to get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.
“We need to realize that H1N1 is out there and making the rounds,” Howard said. “We don’t see seasonal flu until late December.”
H1N1 vaccination is recommended for pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants under six months old, young people between the ages of six months and 24 years, and people aged 25 to 64 with chronic medical problems.
“We’ll be prioritizing who gets the vaccine,” Howard said. “Pregnant women, kids with medical problems, kids without problems, and health care workers will be the first to get the vaccine.”
The H1N1 nasal mist vaccine will be available at Howard’s office within a week or two. This vaccine is a live attenuated (weakened) virus, which is for younger healthy people and is not recommended for anyone under the age of two, anyone who is pregnant, those with weakened immune systems, or people who will be around those with weakened immune systems.
Toward the end of the month, Howard’s office will be getting the injectable inactivated vaccine, which can be given to anyone age six months and older.
“The injectable vaccine is made the same way the seasonal vaccine is, and there is no reason to expect it would cause any more side effects than a regular vaccine,” Howard said.
It is better to get the flu vaccine sooner rather than later because it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to take effect.
For those who do get the flu, some common sense precautions need to be followed. Howard advises people to stay home if they have a fever and not to send kids to school if they have a fever. And if you think you have the flu, get to the doctor.
“If we catch it in the first 48 hours, we can treat it with anti-viral medications,” Howard said. “But a lot of people contract and spread the flu before they come to the doctor.”
To get on the list to receive the flu mist or injectable vaccine, call Clarendon Family Medical Center at 874-3531.
The Texas Department of State Health Services will also be holding flu vaccination clinics, and more information on those will be listed on our website – www.clarendononline.com – as it becomes available.
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