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Swine flu deaths, hospitalizations rise dramatically
By Kate Hessling, Tribune Staff Writer
Published: Friday, November 6, 2009
LANSING ? The number of deaths linked to H1N1 in Michigan has increased by six since Monday, state health officials said Thursday.
?We have had 22 deaths (since Sept. 1), and they range in age from 6 months to 72 years,? said James McCurtis Jr., Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) spokesman, during a phone conference Thursday afternoon.
He noted the six-month old infant that died is the first pediatric death in Michigan that has been connected to H1N1.
Health officials said between April and September, when there had been a first wave of H1N1 cases in Michigan, there had been a total of 10 H1N1-related deaths, which brings the total of H1N1-related deaths so far in 2009 to 32.
McCurtis said MDCH is not releasing specific information about the individuals who have died from H1N1. That policy is there to protect each individual?s privacy and prevent any confusion in the event further investigation shows preliminary information about a given death is not accurate, he said.
Such confusion occurred earlier this week when state health officials reported on Monday that there were 16 confirmed H1N1 deaths, but a 17th death ? that of a 7-month-old infant ? was being investigated. However, MDCH later issued a statement noting the child did not die, but has recovered and is back at home.
McCurtis said the 6-month-old child that is one of the 22 deaths announced Thursday is not the same child that health officials were investigating early this week.
In addition to an increase in the number of H1N1-related deaths, the number of hospitalizations of individuals in Michigan with flu-related illnesses also has increased since Monday.
While health officials said as of Monday, there have been a total of 396 hospitalizations since Sept. 1, the number of hospitalizations reported on Thursday was 656.
The total number of influenza-like cases around Michigan totaled 189,956 since Sept. 1, McCurtis said. He noted 53,157 of those cases were reported last week alone.
Dr. Gregory Holzman, state chief medical executive, said monitoring done by MDCH has found 99 percent of the flu cases are H1N1.
He said it?s unclear how severe this flu season will be in comparison to previous seasonal flu seasons, as MDCH does not keep track the number of deaths related to the seasonal flu.
It?s also unclear when this flu season will peak, and Holzman said it?s his guess that numbers will peak in the near future, but spike back up before the flu season ends.
?The amount of flu that?s out there at this time of year is quite extensive ? you usually don?t see this much flu,? he said, in regard to the number of flu cases that have been reported since the flu season began on Sept. 1.
General population?s odds of dying from H1N1 less than 1 percent
McCurtis said the majority of individuals who have died from H1N1 to date have had underlying medical conditions.
Holzman said the case fatality for H1N1 in the general population ? i.e. healthy persons with no underlying medical conditions ? is very low.
?The chance is less than 0.1 percent to die from H1N1 virus,? he said, noting the severity of the virus could increase or decrease in time, as viruses can always mutate.
However, the chance of getting the H1N1 virus is higher than that of getting the seasonal flu, as the more people are immune to the seasonal flu than are immune to the H1N1 virus, Holzman said.
?Because the immunity is not out in the community, you can expect it to spread,? he said.
Those that are more susceptible to dying from H1N1-related complications included individuals identified by the CDC as priority groups. Those groups include: Pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
?We also have noticed that the virus has been very active in the young children population, so we also would like to get them vaccinated,? Holzman said.
More vaccinations arrive in Michigan
As of Thursday, the number of H1N1 vaccine doses allocated in Michigan is 1.2 million, McCurtis said. He said the state has a total of 958,200 doses ordered.
Health officials said more vaccines are arriving on just about a daily basis.
While the demand for the vaccine still is higher than the supply, over time the state will have enough vaccine for not only individuals identified in priority groups, but for the general population as well, Holzman said.
?If today they can?t find the vaccine, tomorrow they might,? he said, in regard to individuals included in a priority group. It will take longer for the vaccine to be available to the general population.
Part of the delay is because it is taking longer to grow the vaccine, and as a result, manufactures aren?t able to produce as much of the vaccine as quickly as originally anticipated, said Bob Swanson, MDCH immunizations director.
Another complicating factor is that manufacturers still are getting the seasonal flu vaccine out, he said.
?They?re trying to do two vaccines in the time period of one,? Swanson said. ?So it?s been slower than expected.?
Holzman said there have been quite a few questions regarding adverse reactions to the vaccine.
?The best I can tell you is all that I have heard about is one severe allergic reaction that has happened,? he said, adding that person was appropriately treated and currently is doing fine.
Adverse reactions are not reported to the MDCH, but rather to the CDC because that is the agency that monitors whether a vaccine is causing adverse reactions, Holzman said. He noted there have been no reports from the CDC of anything out of the ordinary regarding the H1N1 vaccine.
?The CDC expects the 2009 (H1N1) vaccine will have similar safety profiles as a seasonal vaccine, which has a very good record,? he said, adding the vaccine is approved by the Federal Drug Administration. ?The type and frequencies of side effects will likely be similar to those experienced from seasonal vaccine, which are mild reactions. Any serious side effects following the vaccine would be rare.?
Holzman said the most common side effects from the injectable vaccine are pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given in the arm. A runny nose and headache are the most common side effects experienced from the nasal spray vaccine.
He said it?s important the public realize that the FDA closely monitors any side effects people may experience after a vaccine is released in the market, and any reports of adverse reactions will be passed on to the public.
The H1N1 vaccine is the best way individuals can protect themselves from getting H1N1, Holzman stressed.
?So when vaccines become available to everyone, get vaccinated,? he said.
By Kate Hessling, Tribune Staff Writer
Published: Friday, November 6, 2009
LANSING ? The number of deaths linked to H1N1 in Michigan has increased by six since Monday, state health officials said Thursday.
?We have had 22 deaths (since Sept. 1), and they range in age from 6 months to 72 years,? said James McCurtis Jr., Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) spokesman, during a phone conference Thursday afternoon.
He noted the six-month old infant that died is the first pediatric death in Michigan that has been connected to H1N1.
Health officials said between April and September, when there had been a first wave of H1N1 cases in Michigan, there had been a total of 10 H1N1-related deaths, which brings the total of H1N1-related deaths so far in 2009 to 32.
McCurtis said MDCH is not releasing specific information about the individuals who have died from H1N1. That policy is there to protect each individual?s privacy and prevent any confusion in the event further investigation shows preliminary information about a given death is not accurate, he said.
Such confusion occurred earlier this week when state health officials reported on Monday that there were 16 confirmed H1N1 deaths, but a 17th death ? that of a 7-month-old infant ? was being investigated. However, MDCH later issued a statement noting the child did not die, but has recovered and is back at home.
McCurtis said the 6-month-old child that is one of the 22 deaths announced Thursday is not the same child that health officials were investigating early this week.
In addition to an increase in the number of H1N1-related deaths, the number of hospitalizations of individuals in Michigan with flu-related illnesses also has increased since Monday.
While health officials said as of Monday, there have been a total of 396 hospitalizations since Sept. 1, the number of hospitalizations reported on Thursday was 656.
The total number of influenza-like cases around Michigan totaled 189,956 since Sept. 1, McCurtis said. He noted 53,157 of those cases were reported last week alone.
Dr. Gregory Holzman, state chief medical executive, said monitoring done by MDCH has found 99 percent of the flu cases are H1N1.
He said it?s unclear how severe this flu season will be in comparison to previous seasonal flu seasons, as MDCH does not keep track the number of deaths related to the seasonal flu.
It?s also unclear when this flu season will peak, and Holzman said it?s his guess that numbers will peak in the near future, but spike back up before the flu season ends.
?The amount of flu that?s out there at this time of year is quite extensive ? you usually don?t see this much flu,? he said, in regard to the number of flu cases that have been reported since the flu season began on Sept. 1.
General population?s odds of dying from H1N1 less than 1 percent
McCurtis said the majority of individuals who have died from H1N1 to date have had underlying medical conditions.
Holzman said the case fatality for H1N1 in the general population ? i.e. healthy persons with no underlying medical conditions ? is very low.
?The chance is less than 0.1 percent to die from H1N1 virus,? he said, noting the severity of the virus could increase or decrease in time, as viruses can always mutate.
However, the chance of getting the H1N1 virus is higher than that of getting the seasonal flu, as the more people are immune to the seasonal flu than are immune to the H1N1 virus, Holzman said.
?Because the immunity is not out in the community, you can expect it to spread,? he said.
Those that are more susceptible to dying from H1N1-related complications included individuals identified by the CDC as priority groups. Those groups include: Pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
?We also have noticed that the virus has been very active in the young children population, so we also would like to get them vaccinated,? Holzman said.
More vaccinations arrive in Michigan
As of Thursday, the number of H1N1 vaccine doses allocated in Michigan is 1.2 million, McCurtis said. He said the state has a total of 958,200 doses ordered.
Health officials said more vaccines are arriving on just about a daily basis.
While the demand for the vaccine still is higher than the supply, over time the state will have enough vaccine for not only individuals identified in priority groups, but for the general population as well, Holzman said.
?If today they can?t find the vaccine, tomorrow they might,? he said, in regard to individuals included in a priority group. It will take longer for the vaccine to be available to the general population.
Part of the delay is because it is taking longer to grow the vaccine, and as a result, manufactures aren?t able to produce as much of the vaccine as quickly as originally anticipated, said Bob Swanson, MDCH immunizations director.
Another complicating factor is that manufacturers still are getting the seasonal flu vaccine out, he said.
?They?re trying to do two vaccines in the time period of one,? Swanson said. ?So it?s been slower than expected.?
Holzman said there have been quite a few questions regarding adverse reactions to the vaccine.
?The best I can tell you is all that I have heard about is one severe allergic reaction that has happened,? he said, adding that person was appropriately treated and currently is doing fine.
Adverse reactions are not reported to the MDCH, but rather to the CDC because that is the agency that monitors whether a vaccine is causing adverse reactions, Holzman said. He noted there have been no reports from the CDC of anything out of the ordinary regarding the H1N1 vaccine.
?The CDC expects the 2009 (H1N1) vaccine will have similar safety profiles as a seasonal vaccine, which has a very good record,? he said, adding the vaccine is approved by the Federal Drug Administration. ?The type and frequencies of side effects will likely be similar to those experienced from seasonal vaccine, which are mild reactions. Any serious side effects following the vaccine would be rare.?
Holzman said the most common side effects from the injectable vaccine are pain, redness or swelling where the shot was given in the arm. A runny nose and headache are the most common side effects experienced from the nasal spray vaccine.
He said it?s important the public realize that the FDA closely monitors any side effects people may experience after a vaccine is released in the market, and any reports of adverse reactions will be passed on to the public.
The H1N1 vaccine is the best way individuals can protect themselves from getting H1N1, Holzman stressed.
?So when vaccines become available to everyone, get vaccinated,? he said.
