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Re: Alaska - H1N1 vaccine available Oct 29 in state-wide pharmacies, UAA, ANC schools, & ANC Health Dept.
City's final free H1N1 vaccine clinic sees lower demand
by Ashton Goodell
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The city of Anchorage held its final swine flu clinic Tuesday night, but increased supply of the vaccine is being met with a shrinking demand for the shots, which is raising the question of whether people are still taking the flu seriously.
It's been one long flu season. Swine flu raised big concerns back in April with a warning from health experts that the flu pandemic could be like the bird flu virus, a potentially deadly threat.
"We've led a strong campaign to really try to educate the public," said Jayson Smart, the Director of the Municipal Department of Health and Human Services.
The state offered free clinics to get the vaccine to more people.
In the initial weeks, efforts to vaccinate were met with shortages and confusion.
"I think there's always been this undercurrent of how we would end up responding, so that we do the best we can to kind of match our response to what's really going on on the ground," Smart said.
On the ground level, the demand outweighed the supply.
Those at high-risk got their shots first, like pregnant women and young children.
Doctors noticed an increased demand for both seasonal and swine flu shots this year because people feared all the hype surrounding H1N1.
Dr. Beth Funk, an epidemiologist for the state says people often don't take it seriously enough.
"In other pandemic situations there have kind of been periods where things go away and everyone goes ?phew' and then it comes back again as a more severe disease. So I don't know what's going to happen," Funk said.
"It's really heightened the awareness of the general population about how they can be impacted by flu virus," Smart said.
Critics suggest the nation got carried away by drug companies and health providers who exaggerated the danger of swine flu.
But health officials say H1N1 was an unknown just a few months ago. The new virus followed an unpredictable pattern.
Unlike seasonal flu, the pandemic spread in the summer as easily as it could in the winter.
"You never know what's going to happen with flu. I used to think it was from a medical perspective kind of boring, but I've learned over the years that this is an unpredictable virus and you're never quite sure what it's going to do next," Funk said.
One-third of the state got their vaccination.
And now there's plenty of vaccine to go around, but fewer takers.
As signs of illness taper off, so have concerns, but health officials say now is the time to protect yourself.
"We are not through the flu season yet. Keeping in mind that we had seasonal flu well into May last year, so we're not really even halfway through flu season," Funk said.
Flu season typically peaks in February or March, and so far Alaska has only seen H1N1.
The seasonal flu might sweep through this spring.
Doctors say before symptoms flare up again, cough into your sleeve, wash your hands and get a shot while the lines are short.
The city's final free H1N1 public vaccination clinic was at Begich Middle School Tuesday.
Hundreds of people showed up to the last few clinics this winter.
If you haven't gotten your vaccine yet, you can still get your vaccines at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center on weekdays.
The city will begin offering the shots next week at their clinic.
City's final free H1N1 vaccine clinic sees lower demand
by Ashton Goodell
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The city of Anchorage held its final swine flu clinic Tuesday night, but increased supply of the vaccine is being met with a shrinking demand for the shots, which is raising the question of whether people are still taking the flu seriously.
It's been one long flu season. Swine flu raised big concerns back in April with a warning from health experts that the flu pandemic could be like the bird flu virus, a potentially deadly threat.
"We've led a strong campaign to really try to educate the public," said Jayson Smart, the Director of the Municipal Department of Health and Human Services.
The state offered free clinics to get the vaccine to more people.
In the initial weeks, efforts to vaccinate were met with shortages and confusion.
"I think there's always been this undercurrent of how we would end up responding, so that we do the best we can to kind of match our response to what's really going on on the ground," Smart said.
On the ground level, the demand outweighed the supply.
Those at high-risk got their shots first, like pregnant women and young children.
Doctors noticed an increased demand for both seasonal and swine flu shots this year because people feared all the hype surrounding H1N1.
Dr. Beth Funk, an epidemiologist for the state says people often don't take it seriously enough.
"In other pandemic situations there have kind of been periods where things go away and everyone goes ?phew' and then it comes back again as a more severe disease. So I don't know what's going to happen," Funk said.
"It's really heightened the awareness of the general population about how they can be impacted by flu virus," Smart said.
Critics suggest the nation got carried away by drug companies and health providers who exaggerated the danger of swine flu.
But health officials say H1N1 was an unknown just a few months ago. The new virus followed an unpredictable pattern.
Unlike seasonal flu, the pandemic spread in the summer as easily as it could in the winter.
"You never know what's going to happen with flu. I used to think it was from a medical perspective kind of boring, but I've learned over the years that this is an unpredictable virus and you're never quite sure what it's going to do next," Funk said.
One-third of the state got their vaccination.
And now there's plenty of vaccine to go around, but fewer takers.
As signs of illness taper off, so have concerns, but health officials say now is the time to protect yourself.
"We are not through the flu season yet. Keeping in mind that we had seasonal flu well into May last year, so we're not really even halfway through flu season," Funk said.
Flu season typically peaks in February or March, and so far Alaska has only seen H1N1.
The seasonal flu might sweep through this spring.
Doctors say before symptoms flare up again, cough into your sleeve, wash your hands and get a shot while the lines are short.
The city's final free H1N1 public vaccination clinic was at Begich Middle School Tuesday.
Hundreds of people showed up to the last few clinics this winter.
If you haven't gotten your vaccine yet, you can still get your vaccines at the Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center on weekdays.
The city will begin offering the shots next week at their clinic.
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