It has infected 400 students at San Diego State and Student Health Services asked for 15,000 doses of vaccination for last month. What is this mystery virus stirring up so much controversy and skepticism? The 2009 H1N1 “swine flu.”
Although SDSU has asked for the vaccination, it has received none and no information on exact dates for vaccine disbursement has been provided either to SHS or San Diego County.
The 2009 H1N1 is a new influenza virus causing illness in people worldwide according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. It was first detected in the U.S. in April, and by June the World Health Organization labeled it a pandemic. Scientists have called it a “quadruple reassortant virus” because it has two genes from viruses in European and Asian pigs, birds and humans.
To avoid H1N1, people should wash their hands frequently, use alcohol-based hand cleaners, avoid touching their face and most importantly get vaccinated. Natural remedies are not an option and the Federal Trade Commission is skeptical about products that claim to prevent or treat H1N1.
Two versions of the vaccine include the live intra-nasal vaccine, a nose spray and an inactivated virus shot. The vaccine uses a dead or weak virus to stimulate the immune system’s defense against infection. When available, the CDC and SHS is giving vaccine priority to those who are pregnant, living with or caring for children younger than 6 months old, those in the health care field, those between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old and those between the ages of 25 and 64 who are unhealthy.
The federal government purchased 250 million doses early last month and began distributing shots on Oct. 12. According to the CDC the H1N1 vaccines are available, but limited. Availability for states is based on population and amount available at the distribution depots. People are encouraged to contact their health care providers.
Currently the six county public health centers and the one immunization clinic has the nasal spray available on a first come, first served basis for healthy people between ages 2 and 24 that are not pregnant according to the San Diego County Web site.
“We are waiting for the state to open up and allow us to order additional vaccine for the month of November,” spokesperson for the San Diego County Health and Human Services Holly Crawford said. “Currently private providers are continuing to receive vaccine from the October order.”
According to SDSU Medical Director Gregg A. Lichtenstein M.D. M.B.A., California only received 45 percent of the 411,000 H1N1 vaccine doses it was supposed to receive for October. The next disbursement may be delayed because the San Diego County Department of Public Health accidentally received 78,000 doses. At the end of last month, almost all of the vaccine shots were gone and the sites that had shots, were reserved to treat pregnant women. There were 3,000 nasal doses throughout all San Diego public health centers. The county CHP could not say when SDSU would receive a large amount of the vaccine, so the hopeful plan of a mass immunization is on hold, according to Lichtenstein.
"It has infected 400 students at San Diego State and Student Health Services asked for 15,000 doses of vaccination for last month. What is this mystery virus stirring up so much controversy and skepticism? The 2009 H1N1 “swine flu.” Although SDSU has asked for the vaccination, it has received none and no information on exact dates for vaccine disbursement has been provided either to SHS or San Diego County. The 2009 H1N1 is a new influenza virus causing illness in people worldwide according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. It was first detected in the U.S. in April, and by June the World Health Organization labeled it a pandemic. Scientists have called it a “quadruple reassortant virus” because it has two genes from viruses in European and Asian pigs, birds and humans. To avoid H1N1, people should wash their hands frequently, use alcohol-based hand cleaners, avoid touching their face and most importantly get vaccinated. Natural remedies are not an option and the Federal Trade Commission is skeptical about products that claim to prevent or treat H1N1. Two versions of the vaccine include the live intra-nasal vaccine, a nose spray and an inactivated virus shot. The vaccine uses a dead or weak virus to stimulate the immune system’s defense against infection. When available, the CDC and SHS is giving vaccine priority to those who are pregnant, living with or caring for children younger than 6 months old, those in the health care field, those between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old and those between the ages of 25 and 64 who are unhealthy. The federal government purchased 250 million doses early last month and began distributing shots on Oct. 12. According to the CDC the H1N1 vaccines are available, but limited. Availability for states is based on population and amount available at the distribution depots. People are encouraged to contact their health care providers. Currently the six county public health centers and the one immunization clinic has the nasal spray available on a first come, first served basis for healthy people between ages 2 and 24 that are not pregnant according to the San Diego County Web site. “We are waiting for the state to open up and allow us to order additional vaccine for the month of November,” spokesperson for the San Diego County Health and Human Services Holly Crawford said. “Currently private providers are continuing to receive vaccine from the October order.” According to SDSU Medical Director Gregg A. Lichtenstein M.D. M.B.A., California only received 45 percent of the 411,000 H1N1 vaccine doses it was supposed to receive for October. The next disbursement may be delayed because the San Diego County Department of Public Health accidentally received 78,000 doses. At the end of last month, almost all of the vaccine shots were gone and the sites that had shots, were reserved to treat pregnant women. There were 3,000 nasal doses throughout all San Diego public health centers. The county CHP could not say when SDSU would receive a large amount of the vaccine, so the hopeful plan of a mass immunization is on hold, according to Lichtenstein."
- The Daily Aztec - Disbursement for H1N1 vaccines uncertain (view on Google Sidewiki)
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