Foiling the Flu this Fall and Winter

School is in the air and so are flu viruses, both the common, seasonal flu virus and the Pandemic H1N1 flu virus that was called swine flu last spring. The seasonal flu is an annual event, usually descending on Idaho between October and March. Pandemic H1N1 is a new flu virus that visited Idaho briefly in the spring, then subsided somewhat over the summer and is expected to return 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 Pandemic H1N1 flu are caused by different viruses. The seasonal flu is caused by a group of flu viruses that return with slight differences 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.

Pandemic 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 Pandemic H1N1 virus and don’t know how to fight it.

The Pandemic H1N1 virus that appeared last spring was mild compared to its 1918 ancestor. Still, it has spread around the world in four months, sickening thousands and causing over a thousand deaths. Unlike the seasonal flu, Pandemic H1N1 seems to target children and young adults and has 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 to 18 years of age get a seasonal flu shot each fall. Children’s seasonal flu vaccine will be available at the Central District Health Department soon, but CDHD no longer provides adult vaccines. Parents will have to visit private providers or community clinics for their flu shots.

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

CDHD will post vaccination schedules for both seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus on its website, 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 Pandemic H1N1 flu virus, visit www.flu.gov or www.cdhd.idaho.gov.