BAPMG News

Influenza H1N1 Update

Friday, 09 October 2009 09:00

As you are most likely aware, we are preparing for a busy Influenza season. Currently H1N1 (swine) flu is very active in our community. We expect seasonal flu season to start in December.  We are actively vaccinating for Seasonal Flu now and expect to begin H1N1 vaccination in November.  The purpose of this mailing is to share some answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions) regarding Influenza A H1N1.

When will H1N1 vaccine be available?  Vaccine shipments will be managed by the Public Health Department. We have been told that initial shipments of our orders will be sent at the beginning of November.

When can I make an appointment for my child?  We will start making appointments for H1N1 Vaccine Clinics when we actually receive the first shipments. We will post that information on our website (www.bayareapediatrics.com) Please monitor that site for vaccine updates. Because of high seasonal phone call volume, we will appreciate your checking the website rather than calling the office for updates. We will have signup sheets in the office where you can put your child’s name and qualifying condition (see below) and we will call you to set up an appointment for a Flu Clinic when we receive vaccine.

Which children will have priority for first shipments?  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has established a priority list:

·         Infants and Children between the age of 6 months and 60 months (5 years) of age.

·         Infants and Children of all ages over 6 months with chronic lung or heart disease or immunodeficiency.

·         Siblings of infants less than 6 months of age.

We are bound by contract with the CDC to not make exceptions from the above list until enough supply is available to release to the general pediatric population. Remember that we have thousands of children that meet the above criteria and it will take many weeks to vaccinate everyone. We will make every attempt to make the process quick and efficient but we ask you for patience and cooperation with our process.

What do I do if I think my child may have H1N1?  First don’t panic. We have seen several hundred cases in the office over the last 4 months. Most cases have been mild and self limited. Symptoms include fever, body aches, head ache, cold symptoms and, sometimes, vomiting. Exposure to known cases of Influenza in the presence of the above symptoms is highly suspicious for the diagnosis. For infants and young children under the age of 5 years, early diagnosis is helpful since antiviral meds can help shorten the course. For children and adolescents over the age of 5 yrs, treatment is only indicated in severe cases because antiviral n=meds do not have enough effect to warrant their routine use.

Should my symptomatic child be formally tested for H1N1 or seasonal flu virus?  No. In most cases we will make the diagnosis and management decisions based on history and physical exam. There will be situations (such as hospital admissions) where a definitive test will be necessary and we may do in office rapid tests (for seasonal flu) or send specimens to the hospital labs for H1N1. The H1N1 test is a viral culture and takes over a week to process.

Where can I get more information?  The best source of accurate information is at the Centers for Disease Control website:  www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/