NO DC FLU Deaths in Week 41

We should say no reported DC flu deaths in Week 41. We keep forgetting and the news hasn't done a good job or reporting it as well. Thanks to the New York Times for telling us what we too often forget: "The only flu circulating now is swine flu — seasonal flu is not expected to emerge for another month — but most of the vaccine available is against seasonal flu, because it was ready first; vaccine companies started making it in February, and swine flu emerged in April."

Percentage of Visits for Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), National Summary 2008-2009 and Previous Two Seasons (Posted October 16, 2009, 7:30 PM ET, for Week Ending October 10, 2009)

Which is why we disagree with US News' expert's (Jon Andrus of the Pan American Health Organization) assessment concerning the flu and the flu numbers. What we have now is not a peak and it has exceeded last years high although the flu season has not yet begun. It has already eclipsed last years highest totals and its just getting started. All of the most recent research contradicts their experts findings. We hope you'll ignore it as well.

We are volunteering at the District of Columbia's Department of Health's H1N1 Mass Vaccination Program at their Mass Vaccination Clinics. We thought it the easiest way to get vaccinated. We were wrong. Volunteers get water and lunch but that's about it. We aren't allowed to answer questions, medical or otherwise. All information must be provided by the Public Information Officer (PIO) so we have to keep our mouths shut and defer all questions to the appropriate person. Only official forms may be used. Computer downloaded forms may not be used.

What we would have said was this isn't the H1N1 vaccine. That vaccine isn't available currently. Not that there is anything wrong with the vaccine. There isn't. That's why we will need to receive two shots. The first to prevent what isn't currently affecting us and second to catch up with the virus that is currently affecting us. The two strains are similar enough that we might have enough protection from the first to keep us from succumbing to the second. "(V)irtually everything that's circulating now is the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain" according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

WJLA-TV 7 reports "US Swine flu deaths surpass 1,000" as their headline adding: "60 million people have been vaccinated already - an unprecedented number for October. Most seasonal flu shots usually aren't given until later in the fall."

NBC TV 4 went to Grundy, VA to find free health care provided by American relief organization charity called Remote Area Medical featured in 2008 in a 60 minutes report on health care in America called Lifeline.

		Pneumonia/ Flu Deaths	WEEK 41 2009	WEEK 41 2008	WEEK 41 2007
		District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Richmond / Norfolk, VA	95 611 202	55 661 172	48 530 185
		TOTALS	908	888	763

FOX News 5 improperly titled their story: Drive Through Clinics "They must remain in their cars and no immunizations will be given to pedestrians." Which isn't true but we do learn that in Virginia residency isn't a requirement in the national capital area to receive the vaccine.

WUSA-TV 9 reports: "The way the system is working at the Alexandria Health Department however, is new. Health officials gave out numbers to people. The Health Department Director Lisa Kaplowitz tells 9NEWS NOW the number system reduced confusion for people in line. So if people are handed a number, they are assured they will get inside the clinic." Hopefully all the jurisdiction will operate this way though some individuals may line up to sell their numbers to the more desperate among us. What's unfortunate is that "no injectable vaccine will be available at this site at this time."

These are the official numbers as reported by the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).