Panhandle Health District

                                                             8500 N. Atlas Road         Hayden, Idaho  83835

www.phd1.idaho.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Date:     August 14, 2009                        

Contact:                                                                             Released by: Jeanne Bock, Director                     

Cynthia Taggart

Public Information Officer

(208) 415-5108

(208) 818-7288 (cell)

Foiling the Flu this Fall and Winter

By Cynthia Taggart

Panhandle Health District

              School is in the air and so are flu viruses, both the common, seasonal flu virus and the Novel H1N1 flu virus that was first called swine flu last spring. The seasonal flu is an annual event, usually descending on Idaho’s five northern counties between October and March. H1N1 is a new flu virus that visited northern Idaho briefly in the spring, went south to cooler weather in the summer and is expected to return to this area as temperatures cool with fall.

              Both viruses cause fevers, sore throats, coughs, fatigue and aches that no one wants to endure, even for a week off work or school.  Both viruses are also contagious and spread easily in group settings, such as schools. But don’t despair. There are ways to safeguard yourself and your children as much as possible.

              First, it’s important to understand that the common, seasonal flu and H1N1 flu are caused by two different viruses. The seasonal flu is caused by a group of flu viruses that return in some combination year after year. Our bodies recognize these viruses and know, to varying degrees, how to fight them.

             Still, the seasonal flu can be dangerous for some people, particularly young children, the oldest generation and those with weakened immune systems. The seasonal flu leads to death in about 36,000 people in the United States every year.

             H1N1 is a descendent of the virus that caused the Great Pandemic of 1918-19, which killed about 50 million people worldwide, 675,000 of those in the United States. The virus is new to just about everyone alive today. Our bodies don’t recognize the H1N1 virus and don’t know how to fight it.

            The H1N1 virus that appeared last spring was mild compared to its 1918 ancestor. Still, it has spread around the world in four months, sickening at least 162,000 people and causing 1,154 deaths. Unlike the seasonal flu, H1N1 has targeted children and young adults and proved dangerous for pregnant women.

            Now here’s the good news. Vaccines are available every year for the seasonal flu and a new vaccine is being tested now for the H1N1 virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children 6 months old to 18 get a seasonal flu shot each fall. Seasonal flu vaccine will be available at the Panhandle Health District.

            The seasonal flu vaccine is unlikely to provide protection against the H1N1 virus. A new vaccine for H1N1 is in production and expected to be ready for use this fall. The H1N1 vaccine will target H1N1 and not seasonal flu. Receiving both vaccinations will offer the best flu protection this flu season.

            Panhandle Health District will post vaccination schedules for both seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus on its website, www.phd1.idaho.gov, as well as through the media.

           Vaccines are the primary tools to prevent flu, but good hygiene and common sense provide some insurance, too. You and your children can protect yourselves and help prevent the spread of viruses by:

• Washing your hands often and well. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
• Staying home from work, school or child care when you’re sick.
• Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve/elbow and not into your hands if you don’t have a tissue. If you do sneeze into your hands, wash them well immediately after.
• Disposing of used tissues promptly in the trash.
• Not sharing food, utensils or beverages with others.
• Avoiding close contact with sick people.
• Always following doctor’s instructions and taking medicine as prescribed.

For more information on the H1N1 flu virus, visit www.flu.gov or www.phd1.idaho.gov.