Influenza Activity Increases in Kansas
Children and Other High Risk Individuals Strongly Encouraged to Get Vaccinated

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is receiving an increasing number of reports from all around the state regarding a rise in flu activity. In addition, this week the state laboratory isolated and subtyped 5 specimens of influenza A/H3N2 in South Central Kansas.

The flu season started earlier in Kansas this year than it has typically appeared in previous years. The first influenza-related death happened in late October or early November in an individual between the age of 45 and 64. In addition, the first case of confirmed influenza A appeared in Southwest Kansas in early November. Typically, influenza appears in Kansas in December with a peak in activity in January and February. Federal health experts predicted this year could be worse.

Children and High Risk Individuals

"We strongly encourage children and other high risk individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” said KDHE Immunization Program Director, Sue Bowden. “It will take about two weeks before it begins to work, so the sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you will be protected.”

Five children in Colorado have died of influenza during this flu season, according to the Colorado Health Department. There have been no reports of influenza deaths in children in Kansas.

“Children ages 6 months to 23 months were recently added to the high risk group of individuals for whom vaccinations are recommended,” Bowden noted. “But older children, especially school age children, may also be vaccinated given their increased contact with other school children. Anyone who wants to lower their chances of getting the flu can get a flu shot.”

Reporting of Influenza in Kansas

Influenza is not a reportable disease in Kansas, therefore KDHE does not receive case by case information. Instead the state receives reports from local health departments and regional sites (sentinel sites) where doctors and hospitals provide details on activity in each region and also send some specimens for testing to the Division of Health and Environmental Laboratories (DHEL) at KDHE. The state laboratory tests viral specimens to identify specific strains, and notes any changes in the strains from the initial outbreak continuing throughout the influenza season.

“Recent reports from county health departments reveal an increase in absenteeism in schools, and an increase in patients with flu-like symptoms in hospital emergency rooms,” Bowden said.

Supply of the Vaccine in Kansas

Kansans are getting immunized at unprecedented levels for this time of year which has led to some suppliers needing to re-order vaccine. Flu vaccine is still available for order from private distributors, but supplies from CDC to local and state health departments have been depleted. KDHE will make every effort to assist with redistribution of vaccine that is no longer needed by one provider to another provider who needs it.

Effectiveness of the Vaccine This Year

The flu vaccine is usually around 80 percent effective in preventing illness from influenza virus. This means that it is possible to get influenza after having the vaccine, but even when illness occurs symptoms are usually less severe and complications less frequent.

This year’s vaccine protects against the strain A/Panama/2007/99(H3N2), but A/Fujian/411/2002 (H3N2) has been identified in individuals in the U.S. and other countries. Although vaccine effectiveness against A/Fujian/411/2002-like viruses may be less than that against A/Panama/2007/99-like viruses, it is expected that the current U.S. vaccine will offer some cross-protective immunity against the A/Fujian/411/2002-like viruses and reduce the severity of disease.

Annual Deaths in U.S. and Kansas

Each year in the United States 36,000 people die from complications related to the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the past flu season in Kansas (October 2002 to May 2003), more than 1,600 Kansans died of influenza/pneumonia related illness.

Certain individuals are at greater risk of complications from the flu:

• Individuals over 50 years of age.
• Children age 6 - 23 months.
• Individuals with chronic (on-going) long term health problems.
• Women who are at least 3 months pregnant during flu season.
• Health care workers, and others who provide care to high risk individuals

KDHE recommends the following during flu season:

• Get a flu shot, even if not in a high risk group.
• Individuals in high risk groups and those who have contact with those in the high risk groups are especially encouraged to get a flu shot.
• Limit contact with large crowds of people.
• Wash your hands before/after coming in contact with people and after sneezing/coughing
• Contact your medical provider first if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms that you believe require medical attention.

Flu Symptoms

If you begin to feel achy and feverish with a dry cough, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids, and use aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce fever. Due to the risk of Reye’s Syndrome, aspirin and other medicines containing salicylate should not be given to children.

New medications are available to reduce the severity and shorten the duration of influenza, but they must be administered within 48 hours of illness onset.

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness, and its symptoms include sudden onset of fever, sore throat, muscle aches, and non-productive cough. More serious illness can result if pneumonia occurs. Influenza is spread by direct contact with an infected person or by airborne droplets which produce infection when they are inhaled or ingested off the hands. Persons are most contagious during the 24 hours before they develop symptoms and are usually somewhat infectious for the next six or seven days. The incubation period, the time from when the virus enters the body until symptoms appear, is usually one to three days.

Treatment

Treatment for uncomplicated influenza includes bed rest, adequate fluid intake, relief of cough and sore throat symptoms, and aspirin or acetaminophen to reduce fever.

While it is possible to get influenza after having the vaccine, when illness occurs symptoms are usually less severe and complications less frequent.

For more information on influenza, go to http://www.kdheks.gov/flu/index.html or http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm

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