State preparing for H1N1 flu

State health officials are working with local hospitals, physicians, health departments and schools to guard against the so-called swine flu this flu season, a representative of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control told members of the Greater Hartsville Chamber of Commerce Wednesday.

Ann J. Austin, RN, MSN, the public health emergency preparedness director for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Region 4 discussed preparedness steps the agency is taking. DHEC Region 4 includes 10 counties in the Pee Dee region.

Vaccines, medications and mitigation methods are among the defenses DHEC is relying on, Austin said.

DHEC is also encouraging people not to neglect their seasonal flu vaccines, Austin said. The seasonal flu vaccine will not prevent H1N1, but the H1N1 vaccine will also not prevent someone from getting the seasonal flu, she said.

Novel H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, first appeared in April and has since spread around the country and world. In June, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic had begun, Austin said.

In South Carolina, some 22 cases that occurred in the Upstate area were all related to a trip by a group of students to Cancun, Mexico, she said.

“Treat this flu just like you would any flu,” Austin said.

“We have been preparing for a pandemic for some time,” Austin said. She said state health officials originally anticipated a form of avian flu and that HINI is not as severe as what was expected.

Nevertheless, H1N1 is extremely communicable, Austin said. And it is especially communicable among school-age children, she said.

Symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees or higher, muscle aches, coughing and runny nose, and not all symptoms may be experienced, Austin said. Other symptoms can also include nausea and vomiting but not in all cases, Austin said.

Symptoms typically show up about 48 to 72 hours after a person has come into contact with the virus, she said.

“We’re creating documents for physicians. We’re focusing on helping physicians understand what’s circulating,” she said.

Efforts are under way to make available an adequate supply of a vaccine for H1N1 throughout the state, Austin said. She said the vaccine will be a two-dose vaccine with doses taken about a month apart.

DHEC officials say the first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine should arrive in the state by mid to late October.

The first dose will provide 80-plus percent immunization to the recipient. The second dose will increase that level to 99.9 percent, Austin said.

DHEC is developing partnerships for administering the vaccine through physician offices, hospitals, health departments and schools, she said.

While the vaccine will eventually be available in schools for older children, DHEC is encouraging parents or guardians of younger children to take their children to their pediatrician to be vaccinated. For children to receive the vaccination through their school, parental consent will be required, Austin said.

The vaccine will be free, but physicians can bill patients for administrative costs, she said.

Receiving the vaccine is also voluntary, not mandatory, she said.

Priority groups of the population the agency wants to target for vaccinations include pregnant women and children and adults from 6 months to 24 years of age.

Antiviral drugs also offer another defense against the illness, Austin said. According to DHEC, South Carolina has more than 400,000 antiviral treatment courses – 10 pills per course – on hand.

Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, where Wednesday’s chamber meeting was held, was one of the first hospitals in the state to respond to the availability of antivirals, Austin said.

If you start to experience symptoms, call your health care provider or local health department for guidance, Austin said.

The illness usually lasts five to seven days and can be complicated by conditions such as asthma, Austin said.

If a parent thinks his or her child might have the illness, Austin recommended calling the doctor’s office first before taking the child in to avoid possibly spreading the virus.

Austin also stressed that despite being called “swine flu,” you cannot get H1N1 flu from eating well-cooked pork.

The agency is also encouraging simple steps that can help prevent the spread of the virus. These include washing your hands thoroughly and often; covering your mouth when you cough with your sleeve, not your hand; stay at home if you’re sick; stay away from people who are sick; eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest.

Austin said people who get sick should stay at home and not return to work or school until their fever drops below 100 degrees and stays below 100 for 24 hours without a fever reducing medication.