Swine Flu News

[LuvOrlando]

I read this in my local paper tonight. I can't even believe it happened but this is what you get when you get administrators handle medical issues! I'm mad but can't say at who exactly. I mean what on earth are school officials doing being involved in something this important anyway??? This should be run by Dr's not Nurses for heaven's sake...

This is from The Morning Call, my local paper.

Stroudsburg Area School District ruins thousands of flu vaccines

The Associated Press

12:09 p.m. EST, November 3, 2009

STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A school district in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains must discard 6,000 doses of swine flu vaccine because they got too cold.

The Stroudsburg Area School District must dispose of the doses after discovering the refrigeration units holding the vaccine were 4 degrees below the permitted range.

Health department officials told the district to get rid of the vaccine on Monday. Department spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman says the vaccine isn't viable if it's not kept at the proper temperature.

Health officials say the vaccine must be stored at a temperature between 35 and 46 degrees. The nursing office refrigerators holding Stroudsburg's doses were kept at 31 degrees.

Kriedeman says the health department will try to replace the doses as more vaccine becomes available."

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I think the vaccines should stay at the health departments where they have the proper equipment and KNOW what they are doing.

 

[maroo]

It is hard to keep refrigerators at a temperature required for drugs. Working at a medical clinic that gives drugs all day - we have to check our refrigeration on a daily basis and have the fridge calibrated often to make sure we are within the range required.

Schools just don't have this capability. I agree...I think the Health Department should keep it on site and bring it over. But if it requires refrigeration, at some point it will have to be refrigerated, even at the school during the time it takes to provide the vaccines.

A portable fridge would not be idea, as moving it can cause it to lose its calibration.

This is an interesting issue. I am just thankful that they found the problem and did not provide the vaccines anyway.

 

[npmommie]

Rest of family had H1N1, so best guess. She really, really had same symptom as rest of us till the rash started yesterday and throat is still sore. She's on day 6. Rest of us ditched the sore throat after just a couple of days.

The update is that I called the pediatricians office x2 today. They have no sick appts left anyway, but told me if fever returns to take her somewhere. Otherwise, keep an eye on her...she is improving, although slowly. Today, she says she just feels overall NOT well, throat still sore (but not as bad as before), and head pounding. The dr thinks she needs to take it easy and re-hydrate herself slowly but steadily.

OH, they also mentioned that when weakened with H1N1, strep (and other bacteria) sometimes set up shop and take over...they are seeing some (not many) strep throats following this flu.

Another update, dd11 (was sick for a week LAST week) just called from school. I had to go get her, she feels like throwing up. I have felt like that all day today -- and am supposed to be driving dd11 and dd7 (who isn't ill, KNOCK on wood) out of town this afternoon for a dance competition tomorrow. Don't know what to do with dd11 now...could be queasy from a quicky tummy bug, or could be starting a new illness. EEK.


WILL THIS EVER END? NO MORE ILLNESSES IN MY HOUSE, I need a break!!

Did they put her on any meds since she has been sick?

 

[Deb in IA]

I read this in my local paper tonight. I can't even believe it happened but this is what you get when you get administrators handle medical issues! I'm mad but can't say at who exactly. I mean what on earth are school officials doing being involved in something this important anyway??? This should be run by Dr's not Nurses for heaven's sake...

This is from The Morning Call, my local paper.

Stroudsburg Area School District ruins thousands of flu vaccines

The Associated Press

12:09 p.m. EST, November 3, 2009

STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A school district in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains must discard 6,000 doses of swine flu vaccine because they got too cold.

The Stroudsburg Area School District must dispose of the doses after discovering the refrigeration units holding the vaccine were 4 degrees below the permitted range.

Health department officials told the district to get rid of the vaccine on Monday. Department spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman says the vaccine isn't viable if it's not kept at the proper temperature.

Health officials say the vaccine must be stored at a temperature between 35 and 46 degrees. The nursing office refrigerators holding Stroudsburg's doses were kept at 31 degrees.

Kriedeman says the health department will try to replace the doses as more vaccine becomes available."

Wow. 6000 doses gone. That is really sad . . .

 

[Trish Bessette]

Vermont ruined 800 doses of the vaccine due to a malfunction in the refridgerator where they were stored

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

just got the notice from school today about our school district's clinic. The county health dept is running it - the school is just a location.

they are HOPING for 2nd week of Dec! All children in the district at one location in one night! They have warned parents to come prepared for a long wait. Children under 10 will have to receive the 2nd dose at their physicians office.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

2nd week of December??

Gosh, one would hope this flu would have reached its peak by then and started to decline.

 

[HeatherC]

How silly is this? Our pediatricians office got the vaccine for all high risk patients last week and aren't innoculating anyone until this coming Saturday. And they closed the high school the next town over for H1N1 last week.

Talk about not making sense.

 

[disney1990]

2nd week of December??

Gosh, one would hope this flu would have reached its peak by then and started to decline.

Typically the flu reaches it's peak in January and February, with continuing cases in March and April.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

Typically the flu reaches it's peak in January and February, with continuing cases in March and April.

That's true, but typically, there aren't cases in the summer, and the flu isn't usually widespread in September through November either.

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

2nd week of December??

Gosh, one would hope this flu would have reached its peak by then and started to decline.

the way it is spreading now, that is my thought.

 

[maroo]

But here in MS - we did see a rise when school started...the it sorta slowed down.

But now that it is getting cooler - more people are getting sick again.

It seems to go in waves.

 

[4forMe]

I just listened to most of the live CDC conference which happened at 1:30 p.m EST today. They are reporting a total of 3,900 deaths including 540 pediatric deaths from H1N1 within the first 6 months of the pandemic. Here are the highlights regarding different age groups:

Children 18 and under:
- 8 million infected
- 36,000 hospitalized
- 540 deaths

Adults 18-64
- 12 million infected
- 53,000 hospitalized
- 2,900 deaths

Adults 65 and older
- 2 million infected
- 9,000 hospitalized
- 440 deaths

The CDC director stated that these numbers will continue to rise and also reiterated that influenza is serious and that vaccination is the best prevention. I'm sure this will be all over the news within the next 24 hours.

Link to the CDC press conference:

http://www.flu.gov/live/

 

[Pennykay]

Not good news.

 

[maroo]

I just listened to most of the live CDC conference which happened at 1:30 p.m EST today. They are reporting a total of 3,900 deaths including 540 pediatric deaths from H1N1 within the first 6 months of the pandemic. Here are the highlights regarding different age groups:

Children 18 and under:
- 18 million infected
- 36,000 hospitalized
- 540 deaths

Adults 18-64
- 12 million infected
- 53,000 hospitalized
- 2,900 deaths

Adults 65 and older
- 2 million infected
- 9,000 hospitalized
- 440 deaths

The CDC director stated that these numbers will continue to rise and also reiterated that influenza is serious and that vaccination is the best prevention. I'm sure this will be all over the news within the next 24 hours.

Link to the CDC press conference:

http://www.flu.gov/live/

WHAT?!?!?!?! The Ped deaths....??

It went from 100+ to 540?!?!

I think I am going to be sick. That is just horrible.

 

[Pennykay]

This is what they are reporting on their website about their estimates:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm

H1N1-related hospitalizations.
•CDC estimates that between about 2,500 and 6,000 2009 H1N1-related deaths occurred between April and October 17, 2009. The mid-level in this range is about 3,900 2009 H1N1-related deaths.

Deaths

Age Mid-Level Range* Estimated Range *
0-17 years...................~540.....................~300 to ~800
18-64 years................. ~2,920 .....................~1,900 to ~4,600
65 years and older.........~440 .....................~300 to ~700
Deaths Total ..................~3,900.....................~2,500 to ~6,100
_________________

 

[4forMe]

The pediatric numbers increased not because there's been an increase in the number of deaths the last couple of weeks, but because they are including deaths caused by secondary illnesses (ie. bacterial pneumonia) which were not included in prior reports.

 

[Pennykay]

Actually, these are the deaths tallied up through Oct. 17, so there are many, many more. It is also worth noting that this is how the seasonal flu is counted. The CDC says that there have never been this many pediatric deaths in a flu season since they have been counting. And remember, the flu season is just starting.

 

[C.Ann]

Actually, these are the deaths tallied up through Oct. 17, so there are many, many more. It is also worth noting that this is how the seasonal flu is counted. The CDC says that there have never been this many pediatric deaths in a flu season since they have been counting. And remember, the flu season is just starting.

This is just so incredibly sad.. 540 children - and we're not even into winter yet.. I just spoke to my DD on the phone a little while ago and when she hung up she was going to call my DGD's pediatrician again to see if they were ready to start giving the vaccine to the general practice - as opposed to just the high risk kids with respiratory issues.. She calls every single day to hear the recording.. Call us crazy, but we don't want DGD to be the one who pushes that number up to 541.. Even if the odds are 1 in a bazillion, it's just not a risk we're willing to take..

540 families out there - grieving the loss of a child - from "only" the flu (or complications related to the flu)..