Dear Denise xxxxxx,
I apologize if my previous answers to your questions didn?t clarify what kind of information is available from the state concerning 2009 H1N1.
You are correct about where to go for flu statistics in Alaska. The
chart that showed 2009 H1N1 cases, hospitalizations and deaths is no longer a part of the state?s report; the Influenza Surveillance page does not replace it, but is in fact where that chart once appeared.
The changes you?ve seen on this report reflect those made by the CDC and were made and are maintained by epidemiology.
As you mentioned, you can access that report via
www.pandemicflu.gov or
www.epi.alaska.gov/id/influenza/influenza.jsp.
That said,
it?s still possible to determine hospitalization trends for influenza-related illness by looking at several bar graphs. One shows total numbers and another shows the data by age group.
For regional activity, go to the table of rapid-test results for influenza A, B and A/B. Not all influenza A viruses are H1N1 viruses, but
the numbers can still give you a sense of the incidence of flu in various parts of the state. If you click below that table, a bar graph covers the same data by age group.
This might be especially useful for you since you might have a higher risk of getting seasonal flu than H1n1.
Though
we don?t update the surveillance report here in the public information office, we do help people in the media access and understand the data so they can accurately report what?s going on in their communities.
I hope this note is of some help to you. I?ve also sent your concerns to people in epidemiology so that they understand the kind of information our Web users want.
Thanks again for contacting the department. If you want to talk to me in person about H1N1 or the information on the pandemic flu Web site, give me a call or send me your phone number so I can call you.
My best to you,
Dxxxxxx Sxxxxx
Information Officer II
Alaska Dept. of Health & Social Services
