Did you get your flu vax yet?

[indigo girl]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/swine-flu-surge-leaves-15-dead-and-100-in-intensive-care-2161629.html

I know it's kind of late but not too late to think about this. No wants to think about this, not even me. But, people are still dying and being hospitalized when they could have had some protection. Those pregant moms in critical condition, jeez, I cannot think of anything sadder.

Diseases have a way of crossing borders and jumping on planes. Please think about protecting yourself, your patients and your families.

Fifteen patients have died and more than 100 patients are in intensive care with suspected swine flu as doctors warned that the disease is turning out to be more severe than last year.

Intensive care specialists said that the NHS was under greater pressure than 12 months ago. There has been a surge of cases admitted to hospital in the last 10 days and in the North-west the numbers are above those at the peak of last year's pandemic.

[hikernurse]

Absolutely. I work with high risk patients who are not able to get the vaccine themselves (neonates) and I would hate to think I had been responsible for one of them getting the flu.

[indigo girl]

Severe flu cases in UK serve as warning to Europe - AlertNet

A spokeswoman for the British government's health department said a total of 302 people were in critical care beds with flu. She could not say how many had the H1N1 strain which spread around the world as a pandemic from 2009, but experts said it was likely that H1N1 would be dominant.

"From around the country, reports from frontline staff are showing unprecedented levels of hospitalisation with severe flu in high-risk adults," said Peter Openshaw, director of the Centre for Respiratory Infection at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.

Experts said the evidence from Britain suggested H1N1 flu, which is also known as swine flu, was behaving much as it did last year, affecting younger adults, those in high risk groups such as pregnant women, and also some children.

(hat tip crofsblog)

[indigo girl]

UK: Flu Triples In A Week, Puts NHS `Under Growing Strain’

UK: Flu Triples In A Week, Puts NHS `Under Growing Strain

...we are hearing that the number of ILI consults in England has nearly tripled again – to 87 per 100,000 ( a six-fold increase in 3 weeks).

And that number, again, likely lags behind reality.

With more than 300 people reportedly in intensive care, and more flu patients than can be quickly seen by NHS doctors, the National Health Service has decided to authorize expanded use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu), and to re-open the National Influenza hotlines.

[indigo girl]

Referral: Fergus Walsh On The UK Flu

Referral: Fergus Walsh On The UK Flu

What makes the UK's outbreak so newsworthy are the demographics of those being hospitalized.

Unlike with previous seasonal flu strains, the 2009 H1N1 virus has a predilection for those under the age of 65. So, disturbingly, younger adults and children are the hardest hit groups.

Thus far, however, in terms of total numbers hospitalized or killed, the outbreak of influenza in the UK looks pretty much like what we'd expect during any severe (non-pandemic) flu season.

[talaxandra]

It's summer here, but we're getting more H1N1 cases than I remember seeing over winter. In one week ICU had two pregnant women intubated; both pregnancies were terminated, and one woman died anyway.

I was late getting the vaccine this year, and for the first time ever came down with flu (probably H1N1 according to my GP). Fortunately it was during annual leave, so I didn't expose any patients. I had the fluvax as soon as I went back to work and won't delay next winter.

[indigo girl]

460 flu victims fighting for life as experts admit 24 deaths from swine strain may be only a fraction of the true number | Mail Online

The number of people in intensive care with confirmed or suspected flu in England has risen to 460 - more than double what it was a week ago.

As of today, there were 460 patients receiving the same level of care.

Of the 460 patients currently receiving intensive care for flu, 366 were aged between 16 and 64.

There were 51 patients aged 65 and over, and 26 under five; another 17 were aged between five and 15.

It comes as medical experts admit the 24 lives claimed by the swine strain could be a fraction of the true death toll.

In total 27 people have died from flu this winter, with 24 of these victims of swine flu, or H1N1. The others died from a different strain, known as influenza B.

BBC News - Sharp rise in serious flu cases prompts jab questions

...vaccination rates are lower and Labour has urged the health secretary to immediately launch an advertising campaign aimed at the most at-risk.

It is normal for TV and newspaper adverts to run during the autumn, urging at-risk groups to come forward for immunisation. But this year's campaign was scrapped.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, said: "We wrote to the Department of Health a couple of weeks ago warning about the low uptake. People do not seem to have been taking this year's seasonal flu seriously enough and I think an awareness campaign early on could have helped."

(Thanks to Avian Flu Diary for these links!)

[[email protected]]

We were just informed on last week that there is currently a new strain of flu due to the triple vac given this season. Has anyone else heard this?

[Laidback Al]

We were just informed on last week that there is currently a new strain of flu due to the triple vac given this season. Has anyone else heard this?

New flu strains evolve from mutation/reassortment, they do not originate in vaccines.

[[email protected]]

That's true, but what causes the mutation? I think the reason they came to this conclusion was because patient who had take the vac were must worst then those who had not.

[Laidback Al]

That's true, but what causes the mutation? I think the reason they came to this conclusion was because patient who had take the vac were must worst then those who had not.

There is no credible evidence that people who received the pH1N1 vaccination last year were sicker from the flu than people who did not. Just the opposite. There were many deaths and debilitating sicknesses among individuals who did NOT receive the vaccination.

It is appealing to think that flu viruses are smart enough to evolve away from the strains included in the vaccine. And then in time, they make people sicker whether they get the vaccination or not. But that is not how it works.

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Are there any influenza vaccinations available that do not contain harmful ingredients such as Thimerisol, aluminum, or formaldehyde? I might consider obtaining one, if this were the case.