By Elaine McMillion
The Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLLESTON, W.Va — While the number of swine flu cases in the state has dropped drastically in the past couple of months, health officials say infections again are on the upswing and now more than ever people need to be vigilant about getting vaccinated.
State health officer Cathy Slemp said the number of cases of H1N1 identified in West Virginia has dropped to about 2,000 per week, down from 13,000 a week in late October.
But Kanawha-Charleston Health Department Director Rahul Gupta points out the percentage of people visiting health care providers with flu-like illnesses has jumped in the past several weeks.
Around the beginning of November, only 2 percent of patients were seeking medical attention for flu-like symptoms, according to data from the state Bureau for Public Health.
Nationally, the percentage of patients treated for flu-like illnesses has been holding steady at about 2.4 percent.
But by the end of last week, 5.2 percent of those treated by West Virginia health care providers had flu-like illnesses, Gupta said.
“There is a recent increase,” Gupta said Wednesday. “The trend is now upward. That is why it’s so important for people to get the shot. There is no way to predict where that number will peak.
“A couple weeks ago we were probably the lowest we have been for awhile,” Gupta said. “We didn’t know initially what would happen when it hit the bottom. But we have seen a little more activity in past two or three weeks.”
Slemp, the state health officer, said although H1N1 rates appear to be down since the fall, the virus still is out there. She said as with many pandemics that have seen a third and fourth wave, the H1N1 virus may be returning.
“It could play a role with seasonal flu, which picks up at the end of December and beginning of January,” Slemp said.
“This is a great time to get vaccinated and get healthy for the New Year,” she said. “It is down, but it’s still out there. We are still seeing it.”
Officials attribute the downturn of infections in the past couple of months to the number of people who already have been vaccinated.
The state announced Monday that 512,000 doses of the vaccine already had been distributed across West Virginia.
Within the past two months, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department has administered 10,000 to 15,000 H1N1 vaccinations to adults and about 15,000 to public school students. About 5,000 of those students also already have received a second round of vaccines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control for anyone under 10 years of age.
Gupta said about 50 percent of public school students in Kanawha County have opted to get vaccinations through the health department. In many other places around the country - New York City, for instance - only about 30 percent of students have opted for the vaccine.
In the beginning, the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department focused on vaccinating at-risk groups, including children, pregnant women, the elderly and first responders, among others.
But during the past 10 days, the county health department has held four vaccination clinics open to the general public.
“There has been a consistent flow of people throughout the day at the clinics,” Gupta said.
A clinic held Dec. 14 at the Charleston Civic Center attracted 1,300 to 1,400 people.
Another clinic Dec. 16, conducted by Thomas Hospital Systems, was held in Center Court of Charleston Town Center, and staff there vaccinated about 3,000 people.
Anita Ray at the health department estimates that a clinic Wednesday at the health department resulted in another 650 people getting the vaccine.
There still are chances for people to get the shot.
The health department will hold another flu clinic Dec. 30 and will hold several more throughout January.
“What we intend to do is have more availability of the vaccine at more places than the health department,” Gupta said. “We have been sharing with local providers, hospitals, primary care providers and pharmacies.”
At the health department the shots are given at no cost. Private providers may charge administrative fees.
Gupta said the health department plans to announce times and dates for future clinics very soon.
However, in general, there is not a huge demand right now for the vaccine.
“We’re different than a lot of public jurisdictions,” Gupta said. “Here, our supply is leading the demand.”
Slemp said plenty of supplies are available for anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated.
“We’ve got a great supply right now, and we expect more to be coming in the next few weeks,” Slemp said. “We have worked to get it through a lot of local providers.”
Several hundred private providers throughout the state, including Rite Aid, Walmart, Walgreens, Kroger, Target, Kmart and many independent pharmacies, also offer the vaccine, Slemp said.
“People should check those locations and if it’s not there yet, it will be there shortly,” Slemp said.
Gupta warns people to remain vigilant throughout the holidays when it comes to stopping the spread of the virus, especially around children.
“We tend to spread disease more in cold holiday times,” Gupta said. “There’s always more of a risk when it gets the chance to stay in the community and spread a little more. It’s important to exercise the best precautions.”
Copyright 2009 Charleston Newspapers