Flu season more mild than ’09-’10

By William K. Alcorn

alcorn@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The 2010-’11 flu season was mild to normal, public health officials say, partly because of prevention measures learned during the H1N1 flu scare last flu season.

Heightened awareness of prevention emphasized during the H1N1 threat — frequent hand washing, coughing and sneezing into elbows among the techniques —carried into the flu season just ended, said Dr. John Venglarcik III, medical director for the Mahoning County District Board of Health.

Also, the vaccine is effective longer than originally believed. This year’s vaccine was on the nose for the flu strains that circulated, and most importantly, people continued to get the vaccine, he said.

The increase in the number of private physicians and pharmacies making vaccine available also was important, Dr. Venglarcik said.

Nationally, 97 pediatric influenza-caused deaths were reported in the flu season, Oct. 3, 2010, through April 23, 2011, which is lower than normal. During that period, there were 16,033 confirmed flu hospitalizations and 311 confirmed flu deaths, he said.

The 2010-’11 flu season was typical, excluding last year’s H1N1 flu season, when comparing the number of individuals going to doctors and hospitals with flulike symptoms, said Dr. Mary DiOrio, acting state epidemiologist for the Ohio Department of Health.

“We believe that people who got this year’s vaccine were protected against all of the several flu viruses that circulated,” she said.

“I think the increased awareness during the last flu season carried over into this flu season. The flu virus circulates year round, so it is important to continue taking precautions,” Dr. DiOrio said.

Wes Vins, health commissioner for the Columbiana County Board Health, regards this year’s flu season as mild to normal.

“We saw typical numbers for Columbiana as far as illness, and below average of those receiving vaccine,” he said. “We would have hoped for more people getting the vaccine and have already begun discussions on how to reach more [county] residents.”

Vins thinks some good habits were learned from the swine-flu experience that positively affected this year’s flu season and could carry over into preventing other maladies, such as the common cold.

An ODH study estimates that Ohio’s H1N1 flu- vaccination efforts prevented 64 deaths, 1,400 hospitalizations and 310,402 cases of influenza during last year’s H1N1 pandemic.

Ohio researchers used a model published by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to compare what occurred in Ohio to what could have occurred without vaccination efforts.

The study also estimates that Ohio’s vaccination efforts saved the state $8.4 million in H1N1 related hospitalization costs, said Dr. Ted Wymyslo, ODH director.

ODH shipped 4.1 million doses of vaccine to more than 3,000 vaccine providers.

The 2009-’10 pandemic H1N1 virus, a unique combination of influenza virus genes never previously identified in either animals or people, was detected in April 2009.

Dr. Venglarcik said there is nothing on the horizon of which he is aware similar to the H1N1 virus. But he said the bird flu is a continuing concern, especially in Third World countries.

Nonetheless, people need to remember that October and November, the traditional start of the flu season in the United States, will be here quickly. People need to continue to keep themselves and their children home when they have flu-like symptoms and to get their flu shots when the time comes, Dr. Venglarcik said.