courtesy of parents.com
Dr. Richard Besser knows a thing or two about the flu pandemic. This pediatrician was the acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this year when H1N1 first emerged. Here, he answers your flu questions and explains why you and your children need to get the H1N1 vaccination.
The H1N1 Flu Virus 
Q. How is H1N1 different from other strains of influenza? Is it worse? A. This illness looks like any other flu. The flu itself isn't any worse. What makes this flu different is that this particular strain hasn't been seen before, so there is no natural immunity. Older people appear to have some protection probably from exposure to similar strains before 1957, but young people are pretty much unprotected. With H1N1, we're concerned for children.
Q. It's often reported that children are at greater risk, but what does that mean? Are they at greater risk for getting H1N1 compared to seasonal influenza, or does it mean there is a greater risk for death?A. The answer to both questions is yes. With H1N1, there is a greater risk of becoming ill, and there is also a greater risk for death for children. Each year 36,000 people die from seasonal influenza and another 20,000 are hospitalized. About 90 percent of those affected in a typical year are our elderly. This year we've already seen more than 80 H1N1-related deaths in children. That's more childhood deaths than we see in a typical flu season, and it's only mid-October. There are some estimates that say we could see between 30,000 and 90,000 H1N1-related deaths. I believe those estimates are high, but the take-away is correct. We need to have a healthy respect for this flu.
Q. If I get H1N1, when am I contagious? How long should I stay away from people?A. You are most contagious when you have a fever. The current recommendations are that you stay home until the fever is gone for 24 hours.
Q. If my child is diagnosed with H1N1, what should I be concerned about?A. Every parent needs to know this:
If the patient seems to be recovering and then gets a high fever, you need to go to the doctor as soon as possible. It could be a sign that a bacterial infection has started. Watch for other danger signs as well. These include difficulty breathing or a blue or gray color change around the mouth. Parents know their children. If they look really sick, contact your doctor
Q. Could I get H1N1 twice in one season?A. If you truly had H1N1, meaning you tested positive for it with a good test, then no. You should not get it twice. If you were diagnosed with influenza but were not tested or if you didn't see a doctor and think you had H1N1, then there’s the possibility that you didn't actually contract H1N1. Anyone who falls in those categories should still get the H1N1 vaccination to protect themselves.
Q. Are infants susceptible?A. Infants are susceptible. However, the vaccine is not for infants younger than 6 months old. I recommend having everyone who is in contact with infants under 6 months old get the H1N1 vaccination. This includes parents, day-care providers, and any others who spend time with babies.
Q. What can parents do to protect their children from H1N1, especially those children who might have underlying medical conditions?A. People who are sick end up with germs on their hands from touching their noses. When you touch infected hands or contaminated objects you can pick up those germs. Then when you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, germs can set up shop. Wash your hands often with soap or a hand sanitizer if you don't have access to soap and water. The temperature of the water isn't as important as the amount of time you are washing with soap. The other thing you need to do is cover your cough or cough into the crook of your elbow. Finally, stay home if you are sick. If you are in the high-risk category, talk to your physician about a treatment plan. Your doctor might write you a prescription for Tamiflu that you can have on hand. (You would only fill it if needed.) Second, you could fill the prescription and have an antiviral in the house, depending on the patient's specific issues. There is a recommendation from the CDC to do this. This response is more for a parent that has H1N1 and/or is high risk, not for how to protect your children.
Q. Who is considered high risk?A. People 24 years of age and younger, pregnant women, healthcare workers, and people who suffer from underlying medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma, or neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, are all high risk.
Q. If I have been diagnosed with H1N1 and am high risk, what kinds of symptoms should I be concerned about?A. Difficulty breathing, bluish coloring to the skin, dehydration. Also, take it very seriously if you seem to be getting better and then get worse. See your healthcare provider immediately.
Q. Tamiflu is the most talked about antiviral treatment. Is it safe?A. The safety profile of this drug is very good. Relenza is also effective. The benefits of using antivirals when you are sick with the flu outweigh the risk of it for people who are at risk of severe illness. I wouldn't expect a miracle from Tamiflu, though. It shortens the illness by less than a day in adults and about 36 hours in children. As with all medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist about possible drug side effects.
Q. Are there any preventive treatments?A. Not medical treatments, but we recommend taking care of yourself and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. That means getting good rest and eating a well-balanced diet.
Q. Many parents say they are using probiotics and other supplements to boost the health of their children. The hope is that these supplements will strengthen the immune system and make them more able to fight off illnesses such as H1N1. Where do you stand on that?A. I haven't seen good data on any of these products preventing the flu. But if a parent feels that this is good for their child and there are no risks, then it comes down to the parent's comfort level. Discuss these approaches openly with your doctor.
H1N1 Vaccination Facts 
Q. Isn't it a bad idea to get the vaccination when so many people are sick all around me? Won't that heighten my chances of getting it? Is the vaccine even worth taking at this point? A. The vaccine will not increase your risk. It is definitely worth taking at this point.
Q. If I get the vaccine today, when does it become effective?A. The vaccine becomes effective in about a week for those 10 years of age and older. Younger children need two doses for protection.
Q. Does the regular flu shot make H1N1 a milder case if I get it?A. No. There is no H1N1 protection from the seasonal flu vaccination.
Q. Will the vaccination wear off before spring?A. The vaccine should not wear off that quickly. We can't say with certainty how long it will protect you, but it will get you through this flu season and probably longer.
Q. If my kids have not received their seasonal or H1N1 flu shots, can they get both shots together?A. Yes. You can get one spray and one shot or receive them both as shots. You cannot get two nasal sprays at once, however. This has to do with how nasal spray works. It needs to attach to the lining of the nose. If you get two sprays, they get in the way of each other.
Q. Is the vaccine safe for a pregnant woman? Is it safe for a breastfeeding mom?A. Yes. The shot is safe. Pregnant women cannot get the spray.
Q. If babies under 6 months cannot receive the vaccine, is there treatment for them if they do fall ill?A. Yes. They can receive antiviral medicine. It might be listed as "emergency use" because it isn't licensed. You can find a lot of good information on this on the Food and Drug Administration Web site. And again, this is why it is so important that people who interact with infants receive the H1N1 vaccination. You can "protect around them" in this way.
Q. Some people are saying that their MDs are not getting the vaccination and that those MDs do not plan to vaccinate their own children. Can you speak to that?A. It's important that people have accurate information. From my perspective, the risk from the illness far outweighs the risk of vaccination.
Q. What's holding up the vaccination production?A. There have been some hold-ups in production. The virus hasn't grown as quickly as manufacturers had thought and there have been some delays in getting the vaccine into vials and syringes. I have been told that these problems have been solved. The government had originally promised the vaccine by mid-October. Well, here we are and the vaccine has yet to be made fully available. They are now saying mid- to late-November.
The Bigger Picture Q. What has been learned about H1N1 since it first emerged earlier this year? A. We have learned a lot about H1N1, and it's mostly good news. First, the virus is mild to moderate in terms of severity as compared to other influenza pandemics. The virus hasn't mutated since it first emerged, which means the vaccination is a perfect match to this strain of flu. It can be successfully treated with drugs.
Q. What is the biggest misconception about the H1N1 vaccine?A. The biggest misconception about H1N1 is that people think the vaccination didn't go through proper safety testing because it came together so fast, and people do not want to get the vaccination because they feel it is not safe. Not true. The vaccination is fully tested and is very safe. It has actually gone through more testing than the seasonal flu vaccines.
Q. If this strain of flu is still here next fall, will I need to receive two flu shots again -- one H1N1 and one seasonal?A. No. The H1N1 vaccination will likely be blended into the seasonal flu shot, so you'll only need one vaccination. It would have been incorporated into the seasonal shot this year, except that production on the seasonal flu shot was almost done when H1N1 came onto the scene in April.
Avoiding H1N1 – Steps You Can Take1. Wash Your Hands One of the most important things you can do to avoid getting H1N1 and many other viruses is to wash your hands. Using warm water and soap -- and singing a song like 'Happy Birthday' while washing to ensure you’re lathering long enough -- are good ways to ensure germs are scrubbed away.
2. Sleep Getting enough sleep -- eight to ten hours each night for grade-school children through adults -- can be one of the best things you can do to help boost your immune system.
3. Vitamin C Make sure you're getting enough vitamin C. Oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, kiwi, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables are all good natural sources. According to popular physician and integrative medicine specialist Dr. Andrew Weil, adults can consume 200 milligrams of Vitamin C daily.
4. Stay Home Keep your kids (and yourself!) home from school or work if you're feeling ill. "We have this cultural bias today -- we reward kids that have perfect attendance, and I'm sure no one goes through perfect attendance without going to school sick," says best-selling author and patient advocate Dr. Erica Schwartz. "Let's reward families for social consciousness instead!" says Dr. Schwartz, who reminds us that it is much more important to not spread disease than it is to be at school or work every day.
5. Change Your Clothes When you get home from work or your children get home from school, take a moment to sit down, take off your shoes, and change into different clothes. If time permits, jump in the shower or wash your children's faces and hands. "We wash up after playing outside or working in a factory or restaurant -- why not do the same everyday?" says Dr. Schwartz. Changing your clothes as soon as you get home helps not spread anything you've picked up during the day (think public transportation, office buildings, school rooms, the mall) and transfers those germs to the laundry pile instead of to your loved ones.
6. Let the Air In Get air circulating! If you can, open up your home or office's windows. Let stale air out and fresh air in whenever you can.
7. Get Outside Whether at home or at school, getting outside isn't just a great outlet for pent up energy, it offers kids (and adults) a chance to breath in fresh air and reboot. Even just a short walk out for a cup of coffee or a trip around the block exploring your neighborhood can work wonders.
8. Keep Surfaces Clean Bathrooms, kitchen counter tops, doors and knobs, computer keyboards, and more all retain germs. Wash down well-trafficked areas as often as you can.
9. Breastfeed Your Baby Infants who are not breastfeeding are more vulnerable to infection and hospitalization for severe respiratory illness than infants who are breastfeeding, states the Center for Disease Control (CDC). As a result, it's a good idea for women who aren't ill with influenza to initiate early and feed frequently. The CDC suggests that parents eliminate unnecessary formula supplementation so their child can receive as much maternal antibodies as possible.
In case you’re in need of a laugh right about now, here’s something that tickled me pink (pun most definitely intended). Someone out there has created a Swine Flu plush. That’s right. Now you can snuggle with H1N1 anytime you want. Needless to say, this is not being carried in any of our stores.
Stay healthy!
- Toy Talker
