Increase in Flu Vaccinations Leads to Smaller National Vaccine Supply
KDHE Working to Redistribute Vaccine Where Need Remains

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed state health departments today that flu vaccine manufacturers have sold most of the approximately 83 million doses produced this year to health care providers and that existing supplies at the provider level are getting low. This indicates Kansans and other Americans took the advice of health officials and got vaccinated early this year.

“We are pleased that more people are getting flu shots than ever before,” said KDHE Immunization Director, Sue Bowden. “This means more individuals are protected from the serious complications influenza can cause.”

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is working with local health departments to determine where remaining vaccine is available in the state. KDHE will assist with redistributing vaccine supplies from providers in areas where need has dropped to providers in areas where need remains high.

"It is especially important for individuals at high risk for complications from influenza and for health care workers to receive a flu vaccination while supplies last,” Bowden said.

Although vaccine supplies are reduced, KDHE will continue to work to assess where supplies are available in the state. CDC is also working to assess this information on a national level.

Some individuals are at greater risk of influenza complications or pose greater risk to others:

• 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:

• Limit contact with large crowds of people and stay home if you have flu-like symptoms
• 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.

The latest KDHE influenza surveillance efforts show an increasing amount of flu activity throughout the state with reports of many patients with flu-like symptoms in hospital emergency rooms and doctors offices, as well as increased absenteeism in schools.

Reporting 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.

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.

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: www.kdheks.gov/flu/index.html or www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/flu/weekly.htm

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