In the news today: What's happening with H1N1 flu
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Washtenaw County Public Health Department data shows respiratory illnesses are up significantly among school children, as is overall lab-confirmed flu in county residents this fall.
Reported respiratory illnesses in Washtenaw County schools last week were more than double the highest rate during last year’s seasonal flu season.
At the worst point during the last flu season, just fewer than 35 students per 1,000 students were out with respiratory illnesses in local schools in February earlier this year.
Typical seasonal flu season peaks in January or February.
Last week, the number of students out with respiratory illness topped 70 students per 1,000 students. That rate was up from about 55 students absences per 1,000 students the previous week.
At the end of October 2008, the rate of students out with respiratory illness hovered around 10 students per 1,000.
The odds of getting a dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine in Michigan is about 82 in 1,000, according to a list available on Forbes Web site from Centers for Disease Control data.
With 819,100 doses, Michigan ties with five other states in the country at about 30th in the nation for amount of vaccine available in relation to its population.
With 120 doses per 1,000 people, residents in Alaska were most likely to get a dose of the vaccine. Hawaiians were least likely with 57 doses per 1,000 residents.
Michigan H1N1 deaths rise - still fairly low, officials say
More deaths have been blamed on the H1N1 flu virus, the Michigan Department of Community Health said this week.
At least 22 people, including a 6-month-old infant, have died due to complications from the flu, according to a report from Michigan Radio.
In Washtenaw County, more than 30 residents have been hospitalized due to the H1N1 flu virus - including 15 from the week ending Oct. 31.
At least 451 people in Michigan have been hospitalized with any flu-like strain since September, including 195 last week. Despite the deaths, officials are careful to warn the hospitalizations and mortality from the flu is similar - if not milder - than the seasonal flu.
Flu vaccine clinic planned
The Washtenaw County Public Health Department plans to have its next H1N1 flu vaccine clinic on Sat., Nov 14.
Exact details about a location and time, as well as who will be eligible to be vaccinated, are still pending.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
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Increased absences are probably attributable to irrational fear of H1N1 encouraged and even caused by media stories like this one.
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Posted Nov 7
Andrew, Tell that to my hacking daughter and her 5 out of 16 sick classmates. Feel free to believe this is all paranoia, but, trust me, a 6 year old with a fever of 104 is not making it up because of the media. You don't take time off work to keep a kid out of school on a whim.
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Posted Nov 7
Andrew: You bring up an interesting point and I did ask whether many of these absentee numbers might be artificially inflated because of increased awareness, hype, irrational fear - whatever you might want to call it. County health officials told me, at some level, there probably are some residents keeping their children out of school for symptoms that might never have kept them home in the past. But they said it's doubtful this large of a statistical jump in the numbers would have been caused by that alone and that the reports they are receiving indicate the H1N1 flu virus does seem to be a highly contagious form of the flu virus.
That being said: Officials have continually stressed more than 95 percent of people experience symptoms that are highly comparable to the severity of the typical seasonal flu virus.
It's the unpredictability of who will fall in that small group of people who do have complications from this virus and the severity of some of the complications that have created so much concern.
AnnArbor.com Staff
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Posted Nov 7
It is important to note that the seasonal flu is not here yet. If someone has the flu it is H1N1. These numbers are from reported "sick" people. If someone misses school for another reason, they are not counted. This is not hype, but it is good reporting with facts in an attempt to help our community get through a health crisis. We are lucky to have fair, honest reporting and a Public Health Department that is working for our safety.
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Posted Nov 7
It's good that Thursday's clinic went smoothly but half of the vaccines going unused for an entire week is too high a price to pay. Washtenaw County is doing nothing for another week while 2,000 H1N1 Flu vaccines await administration. How many people will die or suffer unnecessarilly because of the COUNTY'S FAILURE TO ADMINISTER HALF OF THE SUPPLY?(!) Shame on you Washtenaw County 'Health'.
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Posted Nov 7