subject: Another wave of H1N1 expected [print this page] Author: Health Insurance Author: Health Insurance
Another surge in H1N1 influenza virus cases could be around the corner, and health officials are urging residents to get vaccinated and take precautions to avoid the illness.
Officials with El Paso's Department of Public Health are expecting a wave of H1N1 flu in late January, but Deborah Busemeyer, spokeswoman for the New Mexico Department of Health, said it's difficult to predict the timing or severity of a flu outbreak.
"We do continue to have people getting sick and dying," she said. "Because it's a new virus, it's hard to predict."
Busemeyer said the best way to protect yourself and your family is to get vaccinated, and health providers now have enough vaccine for more New Mexicans.
Maggie Mitchell-Thompson, 33, a paralegal from Las Cruces, said she got her daughter, Allison Mitchell, 9, vaccinated in September. Allison has asthma, and got the seasonal flu vaccine and the first dose of the nasal swab H1N1 vaccine at First Step Clinic. But Mitchell-Thompson said the clinic had run out of doses when the time came for her second round, so she never got her booster.
Thankfully, Mitchell-Thompson said, her daughter avoided the October flu outbreak, but she said she hopes she can get her 2-year-old son, Jack, vaccinated soon.
The Health Department has ordered about 615,000 doses for providers and public health offices statewide. Vaccine arrives in small shipments weekly, and the department expects to have received close to 1 million doses by the end of January.
Busemeyer said for residents with insurance, the best place to turn for a vaccine is your family health-care provider.
Angie Carver, a nurse with Mesilla Valley Health Care Associates, said her office has gotten all the vaccine it has requested. But, she said, while some patients are asking for the vaccine, others are refusing it.
"They think they might have had (H1N1 flu) in October and they don't think they need (the vaccine)," Carver said. "Or they think it's too new, and they don't want to take a chance."
Carver said she tries to reassure patients with concerns, since the vaccine is considered safe for everyone over 6 months old.
As for those who think they're already immune, Carver said most H1N1 diagnoses this year were not confirmed by tests, and it's still a good idea to get vaccinated.
For those who don't have insurance, or can't get the vaccine from their doctor, the Las Cruces Public Health Office at 1170 N. Solano Drive will have free vaccination clinics from 5 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 6, Jan. 20 and Jan. 27.
Immunizations will be done by appointment only, and each clinic is limited to 300 people.
Melanie Ikard with the Public Health Office said appointments are still available for the Jan. 27 clinic, but the first two have filled up. However, Ikard said cancellations are common, so appointments could become available for all three clinics.
To schedule an appointment or check for cancellations, call (575) 528-5090 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will be closed today.
Memorial Medical Center spokeswoman Mandy Leatherwood said the hospital has adequate doses, and is in discussion with the Department of Health about possibly doing a shot clinic in the coming weeks, depending on supply. A spokesperson for MountainView Medical Center said last week that no clinics were planned there at this time.
The H1N1 flu, initially called the swine flu, emerged last spring, spreading person-to-person worldwide, causing the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years. New Mexico has had 50 deaths, including four Do-a Ana County residents, and 964 hospitalizations related to the swine flu since it was first confirmed in the state in April.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said vaccination is the best protection against the flu. The illness can range from mild to life-threatening.
CDC labs have shown that no children and few adults younger than 60 years old have existing antibodies for the H1N1 flu virus, but a third of adults older than 60 may have antibodies against the virus.
The vaccine was scarce at first and priority was given to pregnant women, people with medical conditions and those ages 6 months to 24 years.About the Author:
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