Local Health Department Responds to
In a recent article a poll was quoted “ a poll of 1,678 U.S. parents conducted by the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, only four in 10 parents responding said they would get their children immunized against the H1N1 virus, even as 54 percent indicated they will get their kids vaccinated against regular seasonal flu.”Germ-spreading schoolchildren are expected to be the focus of a massive U.S. vaccination campaign against the H1N1 flu.
Among those that said they do not intend to have their kids vaccinated against H1N1, almost half — 46 percent — indicated they're not worried about their child becoming ill with the virus. One in five told surveyors they do not believe the H1N1 flu is serious.About half of the parents who planned to take a pass on the H1N1 flu shot for their kids expressed concern about possible side effects of the vaccine. The Whatcom County Health Officer Dr. Greg Stern says “Vaccines are the most effective protection we have against flu because even ‘mild’ influenza seasons cause significant disease, hospitalizations, and deaths, many of which can be prevented.” Some people are allergic to components of the vaccines, and should be asked about allergies before being offered vaccines. Serious side effects are very rare.
Local officials want the public to know that the H1N1 vaccine is not an experimental vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine that is licensed in the US is made by the same methods that the seasonal influenza vaccines are made.. Safety tests have shown no unusual responses to the new vaccine and ongoing monitoring systems are in place to detect quickly any such occurrences.
Another published report may be confusing,it says that hand washing is not effective against H1N1: "Washing hands really is wonderful for preventing many diseases, such as the common cold, but it's not very helpful to prevent influenza," said Arthur Reingold, Professor of epidemiology at the University of California-Berkeley.
Dr. Peter Palese, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, said hand washing isn't all that helpful against the flu because the flu isn't like other respiratory diseases."The flu virus isn't very stable on the hand," he said. "The virus has a lipid membrane that flattens out when it's on your hand, and it gets inactivated."
The rhino-virus, on the other hand, which causes the common cold, can live quite nicely on some one's hand. "It has a different architecture than a flu virus," he said. "It's much more stable." The Whatcom County Health Department urges the continued use of Washington hands as a preventative measure. Washing your hands is the foundation of flu prevention. If we all took the time to wash our hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds, the spread of flu and colds would be reduced. Also, be sure to carry an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands with if you’re out and about. These are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at most pharmacies and food stores. Also, never touch your nose, eyes, or mouth unless you have first washed your hands thoroughly. This is very important because the flu virus can enter your body very easily through your nose, the corner of your eyes, and also your mouth.
Joe Bates
Whatcom County
voice: (360) 676-6707 x52510
voice: (360) 220-6654
311 Grand Ave
Bellingahm, Wa 98225
jbates@co.whatcom.wa.us
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