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FINLAY ALBARRAN
MEDICAL INSTITUTE
Spread Of H1N1 Flu Slows, But Transmission Continues
WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--The spread of the H1N1 influenza virus continues to slow across the U.S. with many states reporting "sporadic" or "local" transmission as of last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a briefing Friday, Anne Schuchat, the director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said while H1N1 activity seems to have leveled off, it's too soon to declare the pandemic over. She explained that most states are still reporting transmission of the virus, although no longer at the "widespread" pace seen last September and October.
"Right now we are not seeing signs of a major increase in H1N1, but we are seeing persistent transmission," Schuchat said.
Health officials were concerned that another wave of H1N1 illnesses might have occurred in January following the holiday travel season. During the 1957-58 influenza pandemic there was a wave of illness in the late summer and early fall and then a decline before a second wave of illness was seen starting in January.
Schuchat said most influenza strains circulating are H1N1 strain and not strains that cause seasonal influenza. Health officials routinely monitor which strains are circulating around the globe. More than 10,000 viruses can cause the flu although only a few typically circulate at one time.
The number of hospitalizations attributed to H1N1 have leveled off for all age groups and the number of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza also declined slightly in the week that ended Jan. 30, but remains at a higher-than-normal rate for this time of year. The CDC reported nine pediatric deaths related to the flu, during the week that ended Jan. 30. More than 1,000 children have died from H1N1.
Schuchat said about 70 million Americans have been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu which is nearly one-quarter of the population. She urged those who haven't been vaccinated to do so. Unlike last fall, there's now plenty of H1N1 vaccine available for those who want it.
Later this month a Food and Drug Administration panel will meet to discuss whether the H1N1 pandemic strain should be included in the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine or continue to be a separate vaccine.
The seasonal flu vaccine is comprised of three different strains to protect people against the most common types of influenza viruses circulating. The vaccines typically contain two "A" influenza strains that include a H1N1 subtype and a H3N2 subtype and one "B" strain.
Production for the 2009-2010 seasonal vaccine had started before the new H1N1 virus was discovered last April so a separate vaccine was made.
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