KDHE Reminds Kansans It’s Not Too Late For a Flu Shot
CDC Sending Additional Free Doses of Adult Vaccine; State has free pediatric doses

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reminds Kansans who have not been vaccinated for influenza that it is not too late to get a flu shot. To help, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is sending KDHE 1,460 doses of adult vaccine which is left over from the Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition, KDHE still has free pediatric flu vaccine available.

“While influenza activity in the state is considered ‘local’, meaning it has dropped in many parts of the state, we are continuing to see high activity in Northwest Kansas, and this flu season is not yet over,” said Dr. Gail Hansen, KDHE deputy state epidemiologist. “Now that additional vaccine is available, it is still important for those individuals who have not been vaccinated, to contact their health care provider for a flu shot.” said Dr. Gail Hansen, KDHE deputy state epidemiologist. “Now that additional vaccine is available, it is very important for those individuals who have not been vaccinated, to contact their health care provider for a flu shot.”

KDHE requests all county health departments and health care providers to use the KDHE Vaccine Redistribution Center Web Site to indicate the number of doses of vaccine needed. The web address is http://www.kdheks.gov/flu/redistribution.html.

Since early December when a shortage of vaccine was announced, KDHE has secured a total of 9,060 doses of adult and pediatric vaccine for distribution to county health departments. Much of the supply has come from CDC, however, the Kansas Department of Corrections also supplied vaccine that remained available following KDOC’s vaccination of employees and inmates.

KDHE’s web-based Vaccine Redistribution Center, activated December 11, has assisted the state in working with local health departments and private providers across the state to determine where additional vaccine is needed and where additional doses are available.

Influenza/Pneumonia Related Deaths in Kansas

During the current flu season (Sept. ’03 - Jan ’04) in Kansas, 39 people have died of influenza, 273 people have died of pneumonia, and another 607 people have died of complications from influenza or pneumonia. This brings the total influenza/pneumonia related deaths in Kansas to 919 since September. (See attached chart).

During last year’s flu season in Kansas (September 2002 to May 2003), more than 1,600 Kansans died of influenza/pneumonia related illness. 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).

Pneumonia and Influenza Related Mortality by Flu Season
Deaths reported to KDHE as of January 23, 2004

Some individuals are at greater risk of influenza complications or pose greater risk to others and should have priority in receiving the vaccine:

• Individuals over 65 years of age.
• Children age 6 - 23 months.
• Individuals with some 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:

• Wash your hands before/after coming in contact with people and after sneezing/coughing.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
• Limit contact with large crowds of people and stay home if you have flu-like
  symptoms.
• Contact your medical provider first if you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms
  that you believe require medical attention.

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 FLU 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 Kansas. 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.

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

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