Quick Poll

Have you ever served on a jury?

Recent Polls

Blogs

Angela McRae

Tea with friends

Deberah Williams

Everyday Finesse

Lorrie Lynch

Who's News

Published Wednesday, March 31, 2010 in Local

10 locals hospitalized for swine flu since May

By Jeff Bishop

The Newnan Times-Herald

Anyone who has put off getting an H1N1 vaccination may want to schedule one, particularly those who have complicating chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma.

Georgia is seeing a spike in swine flu hospitalizations, Associated Press reports. Georgia has recorded the most hospitalizations in the nation for three straight weeks.

"We are keeping up with the numbers," said Hayla Hall, spokesperson for District 4 Health Services.

"We have had 70 hospitalizations since May 2009" in District 4, she said. Ten of those were Coweta residents, she said.

"We have had 11 total deaths for the district since May 2009," said Hall. "Six of the 11 have occurred since January of this year. Two Coweta residents have died from influenza-associated illness."

One passed in October 2009, the other died earlier this month.

"I also have a letter written to go to all school systems tomorrow from Dr. Michael Brackett," District 4 Health Services director, Hall said.

"We are trying to openly communicate that H1N1 is on the rise and the vaccine is still available," she said. "Unfortunately the increase in hospitalizations is in older adults with underlying medical conditions."

Alice Jackson, nursing director for the Coweta County Health Department, said there continues to be a strong demand for the swine flu vaccine.

"We have seen a slight increase in demand for the H1N1 in the last 7 to 10 days," Jackson said. "We have vaccine for all ages."

It is too early to say whether Georgia or the U.S. is seeing another wave of the illness, which had diminished across the nation for several months, officials with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said this week.

But the number of people being hospitalized in Georgia equals the number of swine flu hospitalizations when the disease was peaking here last September, according to the AP.

Officials stressed that no other state is seeing such an increase.

"In Georgia, things appear to be different," said Anne Schuchat, a CDC expert on influenza.

If you have a child six months to 9 years of age, officials are asking you to please make sure he or she receives the second dose of the H1N1 vaccine.

Now is not the time to drop our guard on H1N1 vaccinations, said state officials from the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) at a press conference Tuesday at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Hospital.

There have been a total of 1,012 H1N1 hospitalizations and 72 influenza associated deaths in Georgia since April 2009. Children are one of the most vulnerable populations affected by H1N1, and it is vitally important that some of them receive the required two doses of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

"We are concerned that a significant number of Georgians have not received the H1N1 vaccine and especially children between the ages of six months and nine years of age that should be receiving two doses of the vaccine," said Dr. M. Rony Francois, MD, director of DCH's Division of Public Health.

"We are asking all Georgians to remain vigilant about the H1N1 virus and its complications. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you and your loved ones from the flu."

Pharmacies and doctors' offices across the state still have a good supply of the vaccine, and people are encouraged to find a provider near them and to get vaccinated. It is highly recommended for children between the ages of six months and nine years of age. Other high risk groups are:

* Pregnant women

* Health care and emergency medical personnel with direct patient contact

* People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months

* Anyone from 6 months to 24 years of age

* Seniors and anyone with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for flu-related complications

For more information or to learn more about flu prevention, visit http://health.state.ga.us/h1n1flu or call 1-888-H1N1-INFO (1-888-4161-4636).

Comment On This Story

Times-Herald.com does not necessarily agree with the comments posted below. Responsibility of comments rests solely with the writer. Comments posted in ALL CAPS will be deleted.

Submission of a comment does not guarantee publication. Comments will be posted by a moderator after being scanned for abusive language, relevance, etc. See our Comments FAQ for more details.