By Ashley Bergen
The Mountain View Telegraph
TORRANCE COUNTY, N.M. — Torrance County is preparing for any emergencies that might arise during upcoming flu season and anticipated second wave of the H1N1 virus.
Drive-through immunizations will be offered in October for the first time in Estancia and Mountainair as a way to practice for a pandemic or other influenza emergencies.
“Our hope is to go through the immunization process where we will practice for a bigger flu incidence, such as bird flu,” said Audrey Rodriguez, Torrance County public health nurse.
The state and federal Department of Health are particularly concerned about the upcoming flu season.
This is a lesson learned from the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, which was found to have previously occurred in 1916-17, Rodriguez said.
“Then it came back with a vengeance,” she said. “The concern is the H1N1 virus is going to come back stronger than it did before.”
An estimated 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide from 1918-1920. Since the new flu virus was officially declared a pandemic on June 11, the disease has spread faster in six weeks than past pandemics had spread in six months, according to news reports. The United States has 263 confirmed deaths.
Torrance County is trying to be proactive by meeting with the Local Emergency Planning Committee and a pandemic influenza planning committee.
The drive-through immunizations will be for seasonal flu, Rodriguez said. The availability of swine flu shots is up in the air right now.
Production of a vaccine is now under way, with the Australian drug company CSL becoming the first manufacturer to test a vaccine in human subjects last week.
But vaccine makers have already reported problems. The amount of antigen, the active ingredient in vaccine, taken from each batch is only about 25 percent to 50 percent of the norm for seasonal flu vaccine. That means it will take longer to manufacture H1N1/09 vaccine. Because few people have immunity to this flu strain, people may need two shots, cutting down on availability.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services doesn’t expect to receive its first vaccines until mid-October, when flu season is already under way. It will depend on if the issues are resolved in time to have the vaccine in the county, Rodriguez said. But in the meantime, county health care providers and emergency services are already busy working on emergency preparedness.
“We are doing a lot of community planning,” she said. “We’re working hard to be prepared for the event of any kind of emergency.”
A table talk for local fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency medical technicians, health officials and the public concerning the upcoming flu season is set for 3:30 p.m., Sept. 2, at the Estancia High School cafeteria. Anyone interested in volunteering in the drive-through vaccinations is asked to call County Emergency Manager Dwayne “Bubba” Merritt at 246-4748.
The H1N1 virus is similar to seasonal flu, typically spreading from coughs and sneezes or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the nose or mouth. Rodriguez gave some advice for county residents as flu season draws near.
“Wash your hands and cover your mouth when you cough,” she said. “And if you are sick, stay home and drink plenty of liquids.”
Copyright 2009 Albuquerque Journal