By Bill Robinson
The second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic appeared to peak in mid October, the Madison County Board of Health was told Wednesday night, but a third wave could occur in the winter.
While the number of infections has steadily declined since October, the disease still is widespread in Kentucky and hospitalization rates remain high, compared to the rate for seasonal flu, said Jim Rousey, health department director.
Nationwide, 22 million cases of H1N1 flu have been reported, with 100,000 patients hospitalized and about 4,000 deaths attributed to the virus. Secondary bacterial infections were associated with many of the deaths, Rousey said.
If H1N1 infections follow the pattern of past pandemics, including the 1918-19 Spanish flu, then Kentucky and the nation can expect a third, but less numerous, surge of infections to begin about 12 weeks after the second wave peaked, Rousey said.
The first, and mildest, wave of infections peaked in the spring.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Rousey said.
Because the pandemic probably has not run its course, its still important for people, especially for those in the more vulnerable segments of the population, to be vaccinated, he said.
Health officials fear that the declining number of infections in November will lead people to believe the danger has passed, and they will neglect getting a vaccine.
A little more than a third of the county’s kindergarten through high school students have been vaccinated, Rousey said. Most received vaccinations from in-school clinics, but others came to the health department’s walk-in clinics.
Vaccinated children 9 and under will receive a booster shot next week, he said.
Madison County has received 11,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. Most of it has been administered at the school clinics and the public walk-in clinics, but doses have been made available to local pediatric and obstetric practices, pharmacies and the county’s two colleges.
Local medical, law enforcement and firefighting personnel also have been vaccinated.
Free public walk-in clinics have been scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, at both health department locations, on North Boggs Lane in Richmond and on Rash Road in Berea.
While the department still strongly encourages targeted populations — age 6 months to 24 years, caregivers for children under 6 months, pregnant women, adults with chronic respiratory illnesses, health-care providers and emergency personnel — to be vaccinated, no one will be turned away from the Dec. 12 clinics, said Christie Green, health department spokesperson.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@
richmondregister.com or
at 624-6622.
