NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

[tropical]

By: http://www.birdflubreakingnews.com/

From TV3Live:

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Influxofflupatientsleaveshospitalingridlock/tabid/423/articleID/34631/Default.aspx

New Zealand
"Influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock"
13sep07

[hawkeye]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Influx of flu patients leaves hospital in 'gridlock'
Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:52a.m.

People with the winter flu have swamped Christchurch Hospital, resulting in a 'code red gridlock', meaning the hospital is full and is unable to accept any further patients.

A spokesperson says the hospital has been struggling to cope since June.

It is asking people with non-urgent illnesses to go to their doctors or an after hours clinic.

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

This is a good place to remind everyone to get their flu shots this year!!

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

There have been messages on the radio for quite some time asking people to go to their GP or after hours surgeries due to the flu situation.

[Commonground]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

AnneZ, have many public schools closed down? What about Universities? Have you heard anything on those situations?

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

AnneZ, have many public schools closed down? What about Universities? Have you heard anything on those situations?

Schools and universities have been badly affected by flu. I have not heard of any that closed

A story from August

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/KiwistougherthanAussiesatfightingflu/tabid/209/articleID/32950/Default.aspx

Nine Australians have died so far of the A-type Wisconsin strain.

No one has died here, but businesses and schools have been affected.

Southbridge primary school ....had up to a quarter of its pupils away due to the flu.

All this is keeping lab staff busy analysing cell scrapings for signs of flu infection - but experts say it's not as bad as previous years.

Virologist Lance Jennings says at least four types are circulating, the main type being a New Caledonia virus, he advises people to be immunised.

Australia’s had low flu levels in the last few years, whereas New Zealand’s had higher flu rates.

[tropical]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Please, I hope that any of the FluTrackers medical specialists about vaccines, will try to get some answer to my questions.
Thank You all!


1. Can we got a information if this Ausi/SA/NZ badly affected people was vaccinated with WHO 2006/7 vaccine?

If we know that the standard vaccine production needs 4 months, and that obviously something is not "ordinary" in the South hemisphere seasonal flu 2007 in Australia / South Africa / New Zealand,

and that the composition of the influenza vaccine for the 2007/2008 season (Northern Hemisphere winter) for the A Wisconsin types are
from year 2005 - 2 years old, and that A/New Caledonia is not included,

and that in the European part of the Northen hemisphere, the flu coming in january/february = after 4 months from now;

2. Why the WHO did not take this strains from Australia/SA/NZ, and form a new vaccine, to be produced in time dec. 07 / jan. 08 for this part of the North hemisphere?
That will save lives!

And also, if this happens in well ordinate countries with an ordinary seasonal flu, what will happen if pandemic came?

3. One Flu Tracker thread debated about mandatory shots.
Is it finaly came a moment when must be said, and set, that school children must be vaccinated also?

Reference text from:

This thread:
"'code red gridlock', meaning the hospital is full and is unable to accept any further patients.
A spokesperson says the hospital has been struggling to cope since June.
It is asking people with non-urgent illnesses to go to their doctors or an after hours clinic.
No one has died here, but businesses and schools have been affected.
Southbridge primary school ....had up to a quarter of its pupils away due to the flu."
____

2007/2008 Influenza Season - Northern Hemisphere
(set in Geneva on the 15 February 2007.)

an A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like virus
an A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus*
Candidate vaccine viruses include:
* A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2) and A/Hiroshima/52/2005
___

From "Anne Z.":
...Nine Australians have died so far of the A-type Wisconsin strain.
...Virologist Lance Jennings says at least four types are circulating, the main type being a New Caledonia virus, he advises people to be immunised.
___

From Flu Trackers, "Florida1":
Re: Seasonal Flu Vaccine - Fall 2007

2007/2008 Influenza Season - Northern Hemisphere

The composition of the influenza vaccine for the 2007/2008 season (Northern Hemisphere winter) was announced by the World Health Organization in Geneva on the 15 February 2007.
Accordingly, it is recommended that the vaccines to be used in the 2006-07 season (northern hemisphere winter) contain the following:

• an A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 (H1N1)-like virus
• an A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)-like virus*
• a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus

Candidate vaccine viruses include:
* A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2) and A/Hiroshima/52/2005

2007 Influenza Season - Southern Hemisphere

The composition of the influenza vaccine for the 2007 season (Southern Hemisphere winter) was announced by the World Health Organization in Geneva in September 2006.
It is recommended that vaccines to be used in the 2007 season (southern hemisphere winter) contain the following:

• an A/New Caledonia/20/99(H1N1)-like virus
• an A/Winconsin/67/2005(H3N2)-like virus,*
• a B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like virus

*The currently used vaccine viruses are A/Winconsin/67/2005 and A/Hiroshima/52/2005.

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/top...accinecomp.htm
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

2. Why the WHO did not take this strains from Australia/SA/NZ, and form a new vaccine, to be produced in time dec. 07 / jan. 08 for this part of the North hemisphere?
That will save lives!

In most seasons the vax is a reasonable match. This is something that could be looked at for years when the strain is particularly bad.

3. One Flu Tracker thread debated about mandatory shots.
Is it finaly came a moment when must be said, and set, that school children must be vaccinated also?

It is a matter of ethics. Forcing medical treatment on people is not ethical

[tropical]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Thank You Anne Z. for your 2. and 3. responses.
I think that the statement:
It is a matter of ethics. Forcing medical treatment on people is not ethical.
can't be applied when the non-forcing result in dying of much old, chronic ill, people.
There are other vaccination that are mandatory in a first few years of life.
If the flu vaccine is good for old ones, and chronical, than it can't harm the young population, because if not mandatory (only for severe flu), it must be than "strong suggested" for school children also.

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Quote: 3. One Flu Tracker thread debated about mandatory shots.
Is it finaly came a moment when must be said, and set, that school children must be vaccinated also?

It is a matter of ethics. Forcing medical treatment on people is not ethical

Anne, we force inoculations on children as a matter of course. Polio, measles, mumps and others are all given prior to school enrolment. We also mandate vaccinations prior to visiting some nations where specific diseases are endemic. This, at least in the US, would not be that big a leap. There are some who opt out for religious or other reasons but they have been few in number. We have gained herd immunity in many diseases for this reason. Interestingly enough lately there seem to be a growing number who fear the inoculations are giving our kids autism that we are seeing a resurgence of pertussis. We have even had a few little ones die of this.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Would it not be better to educate people.

If a vaccine is

safe

effective

within peoples' financial means

and people perceive a need

then people with have the vaccine.


The northern hemisphere is entering it's flu season.

Are there education programmes in place for this years flu shot?

What costs are involved?


.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

This is an interesting paper on efficiency.

Childhood Influenza: Number Needed to Vaccinate to Prevent 1 Hospitalization or Outpatient Visit

OBJECTIVE. The goal was to assess the potential benefits of the influenza vaccine recommendations for children 6 to 59 months of age by estimating the number of children needed to be vaccinated to prevent 1 hospitalization or 1 outpatient visit attributable to influenza.

METHODS. The influenza burden was obtained from published studies in which rates for children 6 to 23 months and 24 to 59 months of age could be ascertained. We assumed a range of influenza vaccine efficacies of 25% to 75%, consistent with the literature. We estimated the number of children who needed to be vaccinated to prevent 1 influenza-attributable hospitalization or 1 outpatient visit for each age group.

RESULTS. As both vaccine efficacy and severity of the influenza season increased, the number of children who needed to be vaccinated to prevent 1 hospitalization or 1 outpatient visit decreased. The numbers of children who needed to be vaccinated to prevent 1 hospitalization in a year with 50% vaccine efficacy ranged from 1031 to 3050 for children 6 to 23 months of age and from 4255 to 6897 for children 24 to 59 months of age. For every 12 to 42 children 6 to 59 months of age vaccinated in a year with 50% vaccine efficacy, we estimated that 1 influenza-attributable outpatient visit would be prevented.

CONCLUSIONS. With 1 outpatient visit being prevented through vaccination of <50 children, influenza vaccination can reduce influenza-attributable medical visits in children significantly, even in years with modest vaccine efficacy.

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

By all means educating people should be heading the list. I can't believe how many people I talk to who are convinced getting a flu shot will give them the flu! I think in a country that is limited in size, has a small and mostly homogenous population that education would be enough. This would be even more likely if the citizens were also well educated and had access to free health care. Places like Austria and Germany would fare well with this scenario. Despite arguments to the contrary, the US has an uphill battle convincing people of the need for inoculations. A huge proportion of the population remains unconvinced they work. They have to take time off work to stand in long lines to get the shots, and lastly they are not cheap enough for everyone to participate in the program. Once the mandatory program was underway I think the prejudices would disappear and mandatory participation could be done away with. I don't like the idea much but given the alternatives, this is one case where the lives of millions outweigh the negatives.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ_influx of regular flu patients leaves hospital in gridlock_13sep07

Don't Neglect Your Flu Vaccination

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1066396/dont_neglect_your_flu_vaccination/index.html?source=r_health

With the lingering long, hot summer, it may seem surprising that influenza season is just around the corner.

Meaning it's time for my annual update.

The key message is to get your flu vaccination. It's good insurance.

A yearly vaccination is required because virus strains change fast. The current vaccine is based on these changes.

The latest updates to CDC's yearly flu guidelines are included below. A vaccination is recommended for the following groups:

_Children 6-59 months old.

_Children 6 months through 8 years old who have not had a previous flu vaccination should receive 2 doses, one dose followed by a booster dose later. These kids should be vaccinated early on (because of the time lapse required between the two doses _ 4 weeks or more for the shot and 6 weeks or more for the nasal spray). If last season was the child's first vaccination year and only one dose was given, the child should receive 2 doses this year.

_Those 6 months to 18 years old who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy. (In this age group, aspirin increases the risk for Reye's syndrome following a viral infection such as the flu.)

_Women who will be pregnant during the flu season.

_People 50 years or older.

_Children and adults with certain chronic disorders or diseases (check with your doctor).

_Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities.

_People who live with or care for individuals at high risk for flu-related complications, including healthy household contacts and caregivers of children up to 5 years old and adults 50 years or older. (This reduces the risk of transmitting the flu to these vulnerable groups.) Special emphasis is on protecting infants less than 6 months old.

_Health-care workers.

Flu vaccine should be offered throughout the flu season, and community vaccination programs should offer at least one vaccination clinic in December.

The CDC emphasizes that all persons, including school-age children, who want to cut the risk of getting the flu or transmitting it to others should be vaccinated.

You can get your vaccination whenever this season's flu vaccine becomes available. Most vaccination programs ramp up during October and November.

Who should not get a flu shot? Talk with your doctor if you:

_Are allergic to hen eggs (used in manufacturing the flu vaccine).

_Have had a severe reaction to the flu shot.

_Have previously developed Guillain-Barre syndrome shortly after getting a flu shot.

It should be emphasized that the flu shot vaccine is made with killed viruses and cannot cause the flu.

FluMist nasal spray, a weakened live vaccine, is recommended as an alternative to the flu shot for healthy individuals 5 to 49 years old (except pregnant women).

An important reminder: Get a pneumonia shot if you're due (ask your doctor). It helps prevent bacterial pneumonia, which claims more lives than the flu each year. It can be given at the same time as the flu shot.

Look for more important flu-related information in upcoming columns, including the thimerosal (mercury) content of this year's flu vaccines