flu
PHX. A panel of experts from the Centers for Disease Control recently gathered to talk to ethnic media about H1N1 flu vaccinations. Disparities and special factors affect ethnic communities differently.
The CDC asked for briefings to get closer and contacted New America Media, host, who has been conducting forums around the country. “This [CDC] is the first government agency who has reached out to ethnic media, said Sandy Close, Executive Editor and Director of New America Media. “Just like Obama and the Indian leaders,” referring to the White House Tribal Nations Conference held on Nov. 4.
Dr. Corey Hebert, Chief Medical Editor, WDSU-NBC and assistant professor of pediatrics at Tulane University said, “Black, Asian, and Latino communities have a distrust of government in lots of ways. We cannot allow those things to step in the way of science.”
“We have been on a wild ride for the last 7 months. I hear so many untruths about vaccines. We have to be very careful. Vaccines are a good thing when done correctly.” Hebert went on to say that there was a disease called HIB meningitis that ‘died’ at his hospital, due to vaccinations.
Dr. Andrew Kroger, Medical Officer, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CDC, said the H1N1 strain has been detected throughout the world and the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on June 11. Since then, mutations of the strain have not occurred. However, a recent new twist is that the illness has been detected in household pets. “Cats, dogs, and ferrets are common hosts. There is no evidence of pets infecting humans.”
Kroger went on to say that the efficacy of the vaccine depends on how healthy an individual is. “In healthy people the vaccine is effective 70 to 90 percent and 40 to 50 percent effective in preventing illness complications and death.”
Kroger said people with compromised health should be first to get the H1N1 vaccination. The list includes diabetics, asthmatics, or people with chronic heart or lung diseases. Pregnant women should get the vaccine. However, the vaccine is not licensed to be administered to infants younger than 6 months.
The CDC estimates the H1N1 strain has afflicted 40,000 people, an underestimate, according to Kroger, and hospitalized 200,000. Statistics show that every year 36,000 people die from complications to the seasonal flu. The goal of getting the H1N1 vaccination is to ward off or prevent complications from the flu.
“The seasonal flu is classified as H3N2. There is one little piece of a protein variation that when injected into your body your body may react but it will not get Influenza. The next time your body recognizes the foreign substance you will be immune,” said Hebert. We have been doing this for 30, 40 years, and we do it every year.
Hebert went on to say, “This [H1N1] is a new disease. There was no vaccine. Children spread disease like crazy. They are dirty little things. They do not wash their hands, they wipe their runny noses . . . By next year the next vaccine will have H1N1.
” Janey Pearl, Public Information Officer and Latino Outreach Coordinator, Arizona Dept. of Health Services in speaking of immigrant day laborers, “Lets face it, employers do not care if you are sick. If you stay home, there are other people lined up on the side of the road for your job.”
Arleen Porcell-Pharr, Public Affairs Specialist, CDC, said, “We are asking employers to be flexible. This is all we can do. We posed this same question to the White House. There is legislation currently being proposed for a mandatory 5 days of paid leave. The Flu Ends with You have to cocoon yourself among those around you to keep the virus from spreading.”
In obtaining access to the vaccine, an unidentified reporter from Univision Phoenix 33 said people are afraid they will be asked for papers as identification at the County Health Dept., which, according to Pearl, should not happen. “You should only be required to give consent,” she said, which also can pose a problem.
“Adverse events are entered into a database,” said Hebert, who is also the Medical Director for the Louisiana Recovery School District, and is responsible to protect children at 50 schools. He said he had a no-adverseevent incident where a child was vaccinated, but the mom did not sign the consent. “She could not read. The vaccine is safe and effective to protect your child.”
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