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Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bal...,2850065.story
Baltimore-area youth dies from swine flu; first child death in Maryland
Schools, local governments planning for vaccine distribution
By Kelly Brewington
Baltimore Sun reporter
7:21 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2009
A Baltimore-area child with an underlying health problem has died of swine flu, becoming the first youth death in Maryland from the H1N1 virus, state health officials said Friday.
As with other deaths related to the flu strain, officials would not reveal the child's name, age or hometown, nor elaborate on the circumstances that led to the death.
Since the outbreak this spring, the pandemic has sickened millions nationwide and is responsible for hundreds of deaths across the country, including seven adults in Maryland. Nationwide, 49 children have died from swine flu and the vast majority of them had underlying health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We wish to extend our sympathies to the family and loved ones of this child," said Maryland health secretary John M. Colmers in a statement. "As expected, H1N1 flu infections are on the rise in Maryland as we head into the flu season and we are seeing an increase in related hospitalizations. Unfortunately, as with regular seasonal flu, we expect to see more deaths as a result."
The death comes a day after reports that a 13-year-old girl was in intensive care at the University of Maryland Medical Center with the virus. The eighth-grader at Montebello Elementary/Middle School in Northeast Baltimore became ill in school on Monday and was taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with double pneumonia, according to her aunt. She was then taken to the University of Maryland for further treatment.
"This is a tragic occurrence and it is one that other states have experienced with this H1N1 virus," said Frances Phillips, the state's deputy secretary for public health services, of the latest death. "Because of the way the H1N1 virus disproportionally affects children, tragically, some children--even healthy children--can become ill very quickly."
Children have been hospitalized throughout the summer with cases of the virus, but all have recovered, Phillips said. She also pointed out that while not common, it's not unheard of for healthy children to die of seasonal flu. Last season in Maryland, three children died of the seasonal flu, she said.
Child deaths from the swine flu are particularly worrisome, however, since children and young adults are more susceptible to the new virus. While infectious disease experts believe that older people have likely been exposed to similar flu strains, affording them some immune-system protection, young people appear to have no such immunity.
CDC data show that children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other neuro-developmental disorders are among those with the highest risks. Adolescents appear to be at higher risk of dying of the virus than younger children.
These findings underscore why children are the target of a federal vaccination campaign to begin the moment vaccine is available to the public.
Since the start of classes, schools nationwide have stockpiled gallons of hand sanitizer and stacks of disinfectant wipes in their effort to stem the spread of the virus. Public health officials are making urgent pleas to parents to have their children vaccinated against both swine flu and seasonal flu. And federal officials have deployed a public service announcement featuring Sesame Street character Elmo reminding children to wash their hands and sneeze into their sleeves.
Schools around the country are poised to act as vaccination clinics – a process that does not happen in typical flu seasons. The details of such programs vary widely by state and county, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC director.
In Maryland, state health officials expect such a campaign to take place in mid-to-late October, Phillips said. For months, they have been holding conference calls with local health departments and school district officials and the heads of private schools around the state to fine-tune their plans for vaccinating children in schools.
State health officials plan to place vaccine orders with the CDC next Wednesday, the first day such orders are being accepted. Supply should arrive in Maryland the first full week of October, Phillips said. Right now, however, officials don't know how much vaccine Maryland will receive. But they say once they receive the state's initial supply, they will begin distributing it immediately.
"We don't know what our state allocation will be, but we will be primed and ready to go," Phillips said. "We have hundreds of providers ready--the health departments, pediatricians hospitals and federally qualified health clinics."
In Howard County, students will receive vaccines as soon as they become available, according to Dr. Peter Beilenson, the county's health officer.
Once the vaccines are received, health and school officials plan to distribute the them to every student in the county with parental consent. The process should take two weeks. The effort of hiring staff for the estimated 103 clinics will likely cost $600,000, according to Beilenson. That money will come out of the Health Department's Public Health Emergency fund.
Baltimore County school and health officials have met to discuss the need to administer the vaccine in schools and regional clinics, as well as the logistics involved. On Monday, the county health department submitted a plan to the state, proposing a partnership between to offer vaccines using schools as sites, said Deborah Somerville, the district's coordinator of health services.
Baltimore County health officials' plan includes school-based clinics in evenings and on weekends, to accommodate families, said Monique Lyle, a spokeswoman for the department. "We'll implement the plan once the vaccine comes in," she said.
In Anne Arundel County, health and school officials said that they have a plan, but "we don't want to release information when we don't have the vaccine in hand," said Ellen Jones, the county's health department spokeswoman.
Some six million doses of a nasal spray version of the vaccine known as FluMist are expected to be available by the first week of October, federal health officials said. The spray is recommended only for people ages 2 to 49 and not for pregnant woman. Children 9 and younger will likely need two doses of the vaccine, given several weeks apart.
Forty million doses of injectable vaccine are due to arrive soon after, with another 10 million to 20 million doses due weekly. The federal government spent $900 million for 250 million doses of vaccine from five manufacturers. When vaccine is ready, it will be shipped at hospitals, clinics, public health departments, pharmacies and schools.
The CDC's Frieden warned that the process will not be as smooth as officials or the public would like. Rather than wait for enough vaccines for everyone, the government chose to release supply as it's ready, in order to get to the people who need ti most.
"In the coming weeks, there's going to be some roughness; it's going to be a little bumpy," he said. "Some states will be more prepared than others. There will be places where people will want to get vaccine and can't get it. But this is a better option than sitting on the vaccine. It doesn't coming out in one big drop, it comes out batch by batch in different factories."
Still, everyone who wants an H1N1 flu shot will be able to get one. "We won't have it as quickly as we would like," he said, "but we will have it."
Baltimore-area youth dies from swine flu; first child death in Maryland
Schools, local governments planning for vaccine distribution
By Kelly Brewington
Baltimore Sun reporter
7:21 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2009
A Baltimore-area child with an underlying health problem has died of swine flu, becoming the first youth death in Maryland from the H1N1 virus, state health officials said Friday.
As with other deaths related to the flu strain, officials would not reveal the child's name, age or hometown, nor elaborate on the circumstances that led to the death.
Since the outbreak this spring, the pandemic has sickened millions nationwide and is responsible for hundreds of deaths across the country, including seven adults in Maryland. Nationwide, 49 children have died from swine flu and the vast majority of them had underlying health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We wish to extend our sympathies to the family and loved ones of this child," said Maryland health secretary John M. Colmers in a statement. "As expected, H1N1 flu infections are on the rise in Maryland as we head into the flu season and we are seeing an increase in related hospitalizations. Unfortunately, as with regular seasonal flu, we expect to see more deaths as a result."
The death comes a day after reports that a 13-year-old girl was in intensive care at the University of Maryland Medical Center with the virus. The eighth-grader at Montebello Elementary/Middle School in Northeast Baltimore became ill in school on Monday and was taken to a hospital, where she was diagnosed with double pneumonia, according to her aunt. She was then taken to the University of Maryland for further treatment.
"This is a tragic occurrence and it is one that other states have experienced with this H1N1 virus," said Frances Phillips, the state's deputy secretary for public health services, of the latest death. "Because of the way the H1N1 virus disproportionally affects children, tragically, some children--even healthy children--can become ill very quickly."
Children have been hospitalized throughout the summer with cases of the virus, but all have recovered, Phillips said. She also pointed out that while not common, it's not unheard of for healthy children to die of seasonal flu. Last season in Maryland, three children died of the seasonal flu, she said.
Child deaths from the swine flu are particularly worrisome, however, since children and young adults are more susceptible to the new virus. While infectious disease experts believe that older people have likely been exposed to similar flu strains, affording them some immune-system protection, young people appear to have no such immunity.
CDC data show that children with epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other neuro-developmental disorders are among those with the highest risks. Adolescents appear to be at higher risk of dying of the virus than younger children.
These findings underscore why children are the target of a federal vaccination campaign to begin the moment vaccine is available to the public.
Since the start of classes, schools nationwide have stockpiled gallons of hand sanitizer and stacks of disinfectant wipes in their effort to stem the spread of the virus. Public health officials are making urgent pleas to parents to have their children vaccinated against both swine flu and seasonal flu. And federal officials have deployed a public service announcement featuring Sesame Street character Elmo reminding children to wash their hands and sneeze into their sleeves.
Schools around the country are poised to act as vaccination clinics – a process that does not happen in typical flu seasons. The details of such programs vary widely by state and county, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC director.
In Maryland, state health officials expect such a campaign to take place in mid-to-late October, Phillips said. For months, they have been holding conference calls with local health departments and school district officials and the heads of private schools around the state to fine-tune their plans for vaccinating children in schools.
State health officials plan to place vaccine orders with the CDC next Wednesday, the first day such orders are being accepted. Supply should arrive in Maryland the first full week of October, Phillips said. Right now, however, officials don't know how much vaccine Maryland will receive. But they say once they receive the state's initial supply, they will begin distributing it immediately.
"We don't know what our state allocation will be, but we will be primed and ready to go," Phillips said. "We have hundreds of providers ready--the health departments, pediatricians hospitals and federally qualified health clinics."
In Howard County, students will receive vaccines as soon as they become available, according to Dr. Peter Beilenson, the county's health officer.
Once the vaccines are received, health and school officials plan to distribute the them to every student in the county with parental consent. The process should take two weeks. The effort of hiring staff for the estimated 103 clinics will likely cost $600,000, according to Beilenson. That money will come out of the Health Department's Public Health Emergency fund.
Baltimore County school and health officials have met to discuss the need to administer the vaccine in schools and regional clinics, as well as the logistics involved. On Monday, the county health department submitted a plan to the state, proposing a partnership between to offer vaccines using schools as sites, said Deborah Somerville, the district's coordinator of health services.
Baltimore County health officials' plan includes school-based clinics in evenings and on weekends, to accommodate families, said Monique Lyle, a spokeswoman for the department. "We'll implement the plan once the vaccine comes in," she said.
In Anne Arundel County, health and school officials said that they have a plan, but "we don't want to release information when we don't have the vaccine in hand," said Ellen Jones, the county's health department spokeswoman.
Some six million doses of a nasal spray version of the vaccine known as FluMist are expected to be available by the first week of October, federal health officials said. The spray is recommended only for people ages 2 to 49 and not for pregnant woman. Children 9 and younger will likely need two doses of the vaccine, given several weeks apart.
Forty million doses of injectable vaccine are due to arrive soon after, with another 10 million to 20 million doses due weekly. The federal government spent $900 million for 250 million doses of vaccine from five manufacturers. When vaccine is ready, it will be shipped at hospitals, clinics, public health departments, pharmacies and schools.
The CDC's Frieden warned that the process will not be as smooth as officials or the public would like. Rather than wait for enough vaccines for everyone, the government chose to release supply as it's ready, in order to get to the people who need ti most.
"In the coming weeks, there's going to be some roughness; it's going to be a little bumpy," he said. "Some states will be more prepared than others. There will be places where people will want to get vaccine and can't get it. But this is a better option than sitting on the vaccine. It doesn't coming out in one big drop, it comes out batch by batch in different factories."
Still, everyone who wants an H1N1 flu shot will be able to get one. "We won't have it as quickly as we would like," he said, "but we will have it."