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11/29/2003 Archived Entry: "MORE ABOUT THE FLU"

MORE ABOUT THE FLU

As of Wednesday 3,957 cases of the flu have been confirmed in Colorado. Three children have died. Normally, only three or four children die in an entire year in Colorado from flu complications. More cases have been reported in Colorado this year than in any four previous seasons. Only a handful of states have no reports of flu.

Flu season usually peaks in December and January and giving rise to the early start this year that more and worse is yet to come

"They say" the vaccine is never sure thing even when there is a match between the vaccine and the circulating strains of flu. For those of us who are older, the vaccine is only 30% to 70% effective when there is a match. No match, no protection. Most deaths are in people over 65.

The predominate strain of flu in circulation this year is type A, a type that usually causes high rates of hospitalizations and death. One subtype of this strain, A/Panama, is included in the current vaccine, and a different subtype of it, called A/Fujian has emerged causing illness.

One virologist says the strains of flu circulating now are not the variety that could cause a pandemic, or worldwide outbreak, because there is not an unknown strain. There was a pandemic in 1918 when more than 20 million died and in 1957 when the Asian flu caused nearly 70,000 deaths in the U.S. In 1968, 33,800 Americans died in a flu pandemic. We're going to be in a corner when the next pandemic hits, which they expect to be severe, as we don't have anti-viral medicines stockpiled and we're not ready to develop effective new vaccines quickly.

I guess the best we can do is get flu shots, stay away from those who have it (crowds) and my favorite, keep your hands clean and away from your face. Old folks ought to hibernate, it seems.