County to receive H1N1 vaccine

By Lisa Kaczke | The Daily Journal

Published 03:38 p.m., October 22, 2009

Otter Tail County is set to receive its first shipment of swine flu vaccine for the public.

The county’s Public Health Department will receive the small shipment of vaccine in the next 10 days. The county was randomly selected by the state to receive the shipment, according to Marion Kershner of the Public Health Department.

The shipment will contain injectable vaccine to be used only for pregnant women, infants six months to two years of age, in addition to children five to 18 years old who have underlying medical conditions, according to the Otter Tail Public Health Department.

Flu mist will also be available to healthy children two to four years old.

When the vaccine arrives, information on vaccination clinics will be placed in The Daily Journal and on Lakes Radio. The number of doses the county receives won’t be known until the shipment arrives, Kershner said.

Information on the vaccine can be found on the Otter Tail County Public Health Department’s Web site and by calling the county’s Flu Information Hotline at 218-998-8378.

In upcoming weeks, additional vaccine is expected to arrive in the county, according to the Public Health Department.

Another wave of swine flu hit the community recently, according to Public Health Director Diane Thorson.

Thorson encourages anyone with swine flu who experiences sudden changes to seek medical attention. Changes, such as temperature going down and then going back up, means they’re developing conditions and the earlier they see a doctor, the better, according to Thorson.

The county received a small dose last week for health care professionals who have direct contact with ill patients.

Three Minnesota deaths

Meanwhile, three more Minnesota residents have died from complications due to infection with the swine flu virus — bringing the total number of deaths in the state related to swine flu to 10, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported Thursday.

The latest deaths were a Martin County woman in her early 60s, a Steele County child and a Freeborn County child. The children were younger than seven years old, according to the MDH.

The three died in the past two weeks and all had underlying health conditions, according to MDH. The department has been awaiting medical confirmation on the causes of the deaths before announcing them.

To date, MDH has received reports of 611 hospitalized cases of confirmed swine flu in Minnesota. In addition, 230 schools reported last week to MDH that they had either 5 percent of their student body absent or three students in an elementary school classroom absent due to flu-like illness.

“We continue to follow this pandemic closely, and although we are seeing widespread infection due to H1N1 influenza, we are not seeing a change in the severity of the disease,” said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist for MDH. “Most people recover without complications, but unfortunately some people, particularly those who are pregnant, those who are very young or elderly, or those who have underlying medical conditions, are at risk for more severe illness or complications. This is why we urge people to help stop the spread of this virus by staying home when they are sick and covering their coughs and washing their hands and by getting vaccinated.”

Minnesota FluLine

Minnesotans with flu symptoms can now call the Minnesota FluLine, a free toll-free line, at 1-866-259-4655. People with limited English skills will be connected with an interpreter.

People with possible flu symptoms can call the FluLine for information and treatment options. Professionals will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Callers with flu symptoms will be connected with a participating nurse at the FluLine or a nurse at a triage line operated by their own provider network or health plan. The nurses will evaluate the health concerns to determine which treatment option is most appropriate for each individual.

MDH officials are concerned that the pandemic could overwhelm the health care system, and they believe that the FluLine can reduce some of the demands on the system. Officials also expect to help decrease the spread of the flu. By providing assistance over the phone, the new service is expected to limit the number of potentially infectious people who gather in emergency rooms, urgent care centers and clinics, according to MDH.

Flu prevention

Until vaccine is more widely available, the MDH is encouraging people to continue to take steps to protect themselves and reduce the spread of influenza:

Stay home from work or school — and generally avoid going out in public — if you are sick. Remain home until 24 hours after your symptoms resolve without the aid of fever-reducing medications.

If you are an employer, encourage your employees to stay home if they are sick.

Limit your contact with others who may be ill.

Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.

Clean your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Clean your hands after shaking hands or having other close contact with other people, before eating or preparing food, or touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Make sure to take enough fluids while you’re sick.

If you develop possible flu symptoms and you want to consult your health care provider, call before going in for an office visit. You may not need to go in, and if you do need to be seen, a time should be set up when you will not risk exposing others to influenza in the waiting room.

People at risk for severe flu or flu complications should contact their health care provider promptly if they develop flu symptoms or have been closely exposed to people with flu symptoms to determine whether they should receive antiviral medication.

People who develop severe symptoms or who develop new symptoms after initial improvement should seek medical care without delay.

Get vaccinated for both seasonal and swine flu as soon as vaccine becomes available for you.

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