State News
H1N1 still widespread but rate is declining in recent weeks
FRANKFORT — The H1N1 flu remains widespread in Kentucky but the rate of infection has slowed, according to state health officials.
“We are seeing a slowing down in the rate of H1N1 cases in Kentucky over the pattern of the last few weeks,” said Dr. William Hacker, the state’s public health commissioner. That’s good, Hacker said, not only because fewer people are afflicted with the virus but because it gives health care workers a respite.
“But it’s not going away,” Hacker warned. “While flu cases are not as active as at the end of October and in November, it’s still very active and we’re not through the flu season.”
The height of flu season typically falls in January and February and Hacker assumes an increase in flu cases during those months but he doesn’t know if it will be a second wave of the H1N1 – popularly known as “swine flu” – or the typical seasonal flu variety.
Hacker – who has repeatedly professed confidence in the H1N1 vaccine, saying he recommended one for his own grandchildren – said he “strongly recommend(s)” people receive the H1N1 vaccine, particularly those in target populations such as pregnant women, those between 6 months and 24 years old, health care workers and those with chronic underlying illnesses.
State epidemiologist Dr. Kraig Humbaugh said nearly all flu activity in Kentucky is attributable to H1N1.
“We’re not seeing sustained, circulating seasonal flu activity,” Humbaugh said. He said H1N1 symptoms are comparable in severity to seasonal flu symptoms for most reported patients and most patients are recovering without significant difficulty.
Still, there have been 36 deaths in Kentucky attributable to H1N1 illness. However, 30 of those victims suffered from underlying health problems. Three were pediatric deaths.
He said vaccine is becoming more easily available in Kentucky and some providers have begun offering the vaccine to persons other than those in target populations which in some areas have been largely vaccinated. Humbaugh said 1.13 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been allocated for Kentucky and 946,000 doses have been shipped.
There have been 9,200 calls to a state hotline (1-877-843-7727) manned by nurses from Norton Health Care who provide information on symptoms and treatment for the flu. Information is also available online at www.healthalerts.ky.gov.
Hacker urged the public not to neglect vaccination for seasonal flu, noting there is still time to be vaccinated before the typical height of seasonal flu season. He especially urged senior citizens and those with chronic health problems to get both flu vaccines and a pneumonia vaccine.
Thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year are attributable to seasonal flu.
RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.
- State News
-
-
Tea party offers governor candidate
Sounding themes that resonate with followers of the tea party, a Louisville businessman and advocate of charter schools said Thursday he will seek next year’s Republican Party nomination for governor.
-
Conway appears on popular radio show
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jack Conway gives the administration of President Barack Obama a grade of B-minus and said he supports “card check” labor legislation and would have voted for the health care reform bill.
-
State still low on child welfare report
More Kentucky children are living in poverty according to the annual KIDS Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, although the state improved in some rankings. Overall, Kentucky ranked 40th out of 50 states in child well-being.
-
Bluefield College winds down summer of camps
-
Conway swipes Paul on ADA
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate and Attorney General Jack Conway knows an opportunity when he sees one.
-
Financial reform hurts poor people
“At the dark end of the street,
That’s where we’ll always meet.”
— Gram Parsons
One the insights that I got from Gary Rivlin’s “Broke USA” is that people often use payday lenders because they don’t have access to traditional banks. -
Paul’s father-in-law received farm subsidies
The father-in-law of Republican Senate candidate Dr. Rand Paul received relatively small farm subsidy payments for 12 years — including a portion of a USDA payment due his deceased father’s estate in 1995.
-
Paul, Conway clear air with KFB
Republican Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway tried to pin the other with his own previous statements while also trying to clarify some positions they’ve previously taken in a “Measure the Candidates” forum before the Kentucky Farm Bureau on Thursday.
-
Retirement system solvency not so easy to achieve
Two years ago the General Assembly and Gov. Steve Beshear gave themselves a big collective pat on the back for a “pension reform” bill that would put the employee retirement systems on track to solvency by 2024.
-
State parks hit hard by budget crisis
State lawmakers continued to question implementation of plans to furlough state employees and cut costs at state parks even though most of the austerity measures are the result of shrinking state budgets passed by lawmakers.
- More State News Headlines
-
Tea party offers governor candidate
