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Welcome To The HDI (Hopkinton Drug Inc.) Flu Blog !
Influenza (the "flu") can be a very serious disease. Even healthy adults can get sick. If you get the flu, you can spread it to family, friends, or co-workers.
The intent of this blog is to provide up to date information about Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) from various sources, in easy to understand language. We will also include links for Flu information at Government agencies and Medical organizations. We hope the information provided here will help you to "Not Get the Flu..Not Spread the Flu, and to Get Vaccinated"
September 23, 2009
by: rferraro @ 3:29 pm
Information provided by Medical Epidemiologists Dr. Daniel Jernigan, Deputy Director of the CDC Influenza Division and Dr. Jay Butler, Chief of CDC 2009 H1N1 Vaccine Task Force.
-Children and young adults are still being hit the hardest by the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus, which reflects what happend this past spring, and it’s occurring again in the late summer and in the fall here in the United States. The CDC is finding that the H1N1 flu is being reported in all 50 states with 21 states reporting widespread activity.
-The CDC expects that if H1N1 remains the predominant strain that more younger people will be affected than have been in the past. In previous flu seasons older individuals are often more affected.
-Some parts of the country will have disease, while some parts may not. The CDC expects to see waves of disease going from one part of the country to another. Currently in the southeast there’s a considerable amount of influenza disease, consistent with the opening of schools earlier in that region. As schools open in other regions of the country after Labor Day, the CDC expects increases in numbers of cases to occur.
-The CDC has data indicating a good antibody response to the H1N1 vaccines, adults appear to have a robust antibody response suggesting that a single dose should provide protection. Additionally, there’s been no mutation in the virus so there is every indication of a good match between the H1N1 virus and the vaccines we have to be able to prevent it.
- Initially, the CDC anticipates that about 3.4 million doses of H1N1 vaccine will be available. All of that inital H1N1 vaccine release will be the live attenuated vaccine, or the nasal spray which will be specific for the H1N1 virus (the same dosage form of nasal spray used for the seasonal flu vaccine),
- A single dose would be required for people age 10 and older, The CDC anticipates that two doses will be required for younger children, and this is the same case as occurs with seasonal flu vaccine.
CLICK HERE to read the entire Transcript of the CDC News Conference