Health experts address H1N1 questions, concerns

More than 30 cases of H1N1, or swine flu, have been confirmed in Anne Arundel County. Currently, the county Health Department does not have any more appointments available to administer the vaccine.

In the meantime, department officials have addressed some common questions and concerns about the illness:

What should I do if I'm in a priority group and I can't get the vaccine?

County residents should continue to check for up-to-date information on vaccine availability. Visit the Anne Arundel County Department of Health's Web site, www.aahealth.org, or call the H1N1 Flu Vaccine Information Line at 410-222-4896. You can also receive text message updates by following the health department on www.twitter.com/aahealth. Additionally, some private health care providers, including pediatricians, family practitioners and internists, are providing vaccinations.

In the meantime, it is important for everyone to practice good habits for good health: Wash your hands frequently. Cover your coughs and sneezes. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as germs can spread that way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Stay home if you are ill - until you are free of fever for 24 hours without a fever-reducing medication.

I'm not in a target group, but I have taken my seasonal flu shot and am awaiting the vaccine. Is there anything else I should do to be safe?

As demand for the H1N1 vaccine by priority groups is met, the vaccine will gradually become available to the general population. In the meantime, it is important for everyone to practice the good habits for good health listed above.

I'm a senior citizen. Why aren't people in my age group listed in a priority group for the H1N1 vaccine unless there are underlying medical conditions?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend priority groups that should initially receive the H1N1 vaccine. The groups chosen to be in the target group are: pregnant women; people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old; health care and emergency services personnel; people 6 months through 24 years old; and people ages 25 to 64 who have chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

These groups were identified based on the information available about who this disease is affecting the most. Current studies indicate the risk for infection among people age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups.

Is the H1N1 flu more dangerous than the regular seasonal flu? How can you account for the state's 10 confirmed deaths relating to the illness? Some of those people did not have underlying medical conditions.

Both seasonal and H1N1 influenza can cause mild to severe illness. In the United States each year, approximately 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized for seasonal flu-related causes. With H1N1, there have been hospitalizations and deaths, and most of these have been people in younger age groups.

At this time, there are relatively fewer cases and deaths reported in the older age group (over 65), which is unusual when compared with the seasonal flu. Rather than an increased risk of serious disease with H1N1, it appears to be more of an issue with the virus affecting a younger age group. It is important to remember that most people who become sick with both seasonal and H1N1 flu recover uneventfully without needing medical treatment.

My child has a high fever and I'm worried about H1N1. What steps should I take?

If your child is ill with a high fever, you should contact your child's pediatrician for advice. Depending on your child's symptoms, the doctor may want to evaluate the child in the office or refer you to an urgent care center or emergency room after hours.

Some emergency signs in children warrant urgent medical attention, including: fast breathing or trouble breathing; bluish skin color; not drinking enough fluids; not interacting; being so irritable that the child does not want to be held; flulike symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worsened cough; and fever with a rash.

I'm concerned about sending my child to school because I'm hearing that several people there are ill and have flulike symptoms. Who should I contact to see if that is true? What's being done to ensure my child won't contract this illness from classmates?

The spread of the H1N1 flu virus is happening in most parts of the community, including school settings, family gatherings, sporting events, shopping centers and any other location where people come together.

Both private and public schools in Anne Arundel County are working with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Maryland State Department of Education and local health departments to ensure schools have updated guidance for the fall flu season.

This guidance includes ways to reduce the spread of novel influenza A (H1N1), how to clean and disinfect surfaces, monitoring absenteeism and the number of influenzalike illnesses, and recommendations of when to close schools. If you have specific questions or concerns, you might want to check directly with your child's school.

In the meantime, encourage your children to practice everyday steps to protect their health and teach them to wash their hands often with soap and water (or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner); cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze; throw used tissues in the trash; avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth; and avoid close contact with sick people.

Keep your children home if they are sick, and as H1N1 flu vaccine becomes available, have your children immunized. It is always important to have a family preparedness plan in case you or your children get sick and need to stay home.

I'm in an age group where it's recommended that I take the vaccine; however, I worry about its safety. What can you tell me about the H1N1 vaccine? What side effects should I expect?

This vaccine is being made using the same processes and facilities that are used to make the currently licensed seasonal influenza vaccines, which have been administered to millions of people and have a well-established record of safety and effectiveness.

The most common side effect is soreness or redness at the injection site.