Flu Vaccinations at Work (Infographic)

Featured By: C&S Safety Training Videos

Global Pandemics

Here's an interesting lecture from MIT World by Hidde Ploegh, PhD, Professor of Biology, MIT; Member, Whitehead Institute.

In his role as a biochemist, Hidde Ploegh explains the "essential features of the lifestyle of the flu virus" discussing not only how viruses work to invade our systems and cause the flu, but also adding insights into the political and societal framework in which public health groups and governments deal viral disease.

AMAfluhelp.org for professionals and consumers

Remember that AMAfluhelp.org is available as an online resource for both health care professionals and consumers (patients). AMAfluhelp.org features some great web-based tools and resources.

Are you a patient? Some of the many features and benefits for Patients include:

• Health Sessions - A directory of Health Session Programs offers you a variety of personalized, condition-specific health and wellness programs authored by expert health professionals. These Health Sessions are delivered on a scheduled basis and consist of a brief set of questions and answers, educational information specific to the symptoms, vital signs, medication issues related to your health conditions and goals. Based on your answers, you receive immediate feedback and expert guidance.
• Health Team - This Feature allows you to invite family caregivers, friends, and/or your doctor and other health professionals to join your health team. Upon accepting your invitation, members of your Health team can receive secure reports and notifications generated from your health sessions.
• Health Team Messages Center - Your Health Team members can better communicate through a secure message board that allows you, your family caregivers, and the health professionals involved in your care to post notes and recommendations that will assure better coordination of care. Recommendations generated by each completed Health Session are also posted to the message board for your Health Team to review.
• Personal Health Record - Through connectivity with Microsoft® HealthVault™, you can get your latest medication list, receive lab results and immunization records electronically, store x-rays, and EKGs. You can also upload, store, and graph measurements from home blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, and other devices.

Are you a health care professional? Important features and functions of AMAFluHelp.org for healthcare professionals include:

• Session Alerts Dashboard - This exception-management triage tool makes it easy to identify which Patients need the most attention according to the rules logic algorithm built into the Health Session Program(s). The dashboard is a customizable tabular viewer, consisting of rows and columns. Each row displays the responses from each patient Health Session by date in a green-yellow-red color-coded alert criteria. These responses are divided into columns representing various question types including symptoms, vital signs, medications, behavior, knowledge and others. The dashboard gives Healthcare Professionals the ability to monitor and manage up to 2,000 Patients who have granted access to their records via the Health Team invitation.
• Patient Record - Double-clicking on any patient row in the Session Alerts Dashboard will show an entire patient record, including their detailed Health Session responses, medication list, vital signs, alerts summary, and patient notes, and listing of the Patient Health Team members and message center.
• Health Team Message Center - Members of the Patient’s Health Team can communicate through a secure message board that allows the health professionals, you, your family caregivers, and involved in your care to post notes and recommendations that will improve coordination of care. Recommendations generated from completed Health Session are also posted to the Message Board and made available to the Health Team.

Visit AMAfluhelp.org

GSK donating 50 million H1N1 vaccine doses to the WHO

GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) is donating 50 million doses of H1N1 vaccine to the WHO (World Health Organization). These vaccines will be sent to developing countries that lack significant medical resources.

Here in the United States, we readily have access to antiviral medications and modern hospital facilities. That's not the case in most developing nations. As a result, the H1N1 pandemic may result in significant higher mortality in these countries. I'm glad to see pharmaceutical companies donating and contributing to global public health issues like this current H1N1 pandemic.

H1N1 vaccine now approved for infants and children

According to the FDA, the CSL Limited’s 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine may now be used in infants and children over 6 months in age. Talk with your health care provider to see if your children should receive the H1N1 vaccine.

“Because children are among those most vulnerable to the 2009 H1N1 virus, having a broader range of children’s vaccines available is an important step in responding to the H1N1 outbreak,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.

To read the FDA update, click here.

FDA Commissioner's letter to health care professionals about H1N1 vaccine

The FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. recently wrote a letter to health care professionals about the H1N1 vaccine. It's actually a very descriptive letter of how the H1N1 vaccine was developed. She concludes by focusing on vaccine safety and the reporting of adverse events. Here's a snippet:

I encourage you to report any adverse effects that you believe are linked to any vaccine, including the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (http://vaers.hhs.gov/index). Other resources for 2009 H1N1 influenza, including a detailed description of vaccine safety efforts, are online at www.flu.gov

I agree with Dr. Hamburg that most U.S. families will be touched (directly or indirectly) by H1N1. You probably know many families by now. Maybe you've been affected by H1N1. It's only November and it's hard to predict what to expect for the rest of the winter, but make sure to protect yourself and your family by washing your hands.

Did you get sore after receiving the flu vaccine?

I get the flu vaccine every year. I generally don't mind shots, but this year, my arm was sore for several days! I know that many patients and parents are concerned about things such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, but this winter, I think it would be absolutely insane not to receive the flu vaccine. This is going to be a very rough winter and many people will get ill from the seasonal flu and from H1N1. Vaccines are known to save lives. Why put yourself at risk?

MIT Lecture: Reflections on the Current H1N1 Flu

MIT World has a lecture by John M. Barry about the H1N1 pandemic and it's titled, "Reflections on the Current H1N1 Flu." It's hard to believe that H1N1 has already killed several children and teenagers this fall. the winter hasn't even arrived and it's frightening to imagine what will happen since the H1N1 vaccine is being released so late in the year.

Here's a brief summary of the lecture:

John M. Barry brings unsettling news from the frontlines of H1N1 research: this novel influenza virus is very hard to pin down. In spite of international scientific scrutiny, H1N1 continues to baffle and elude, worrying health officials defending against the pandemic, and challenging some ideas about influenza in general. Says Barry, “A lot of things we thought we knew, the virus demonstrates we knew wrong.”

Barry examines the current pandemic in both historic and scientific context. Most influenza viruses share certain features: They can jump to other species by way of mutation, or by mixing genetic components with another virus that happens to be infecting the same cell at the same time. Influenza pandemics go “as far back in history as we can look,” with 10 occurring in just the last 300 years. Four of the most recent pandemics appear to have rolled out in waves of varying lethality, infecting at peak times some 30% of the human population...

To view the online MIT World lecture, click here.

H1N1 (swine flu) vaccination begins

FluMist is appearing around the country and patients are receiving this nasal H1N1 vaccine. According to this story on CNN, every U.S. state has ordered H1N1 vaccines and 2.2 million doses have been ordered (there are only 2.4 million available). So, who's going to end up getting the H1N1 vaccine and who will be left behind?

Since pregnant women are unable to get FluMist, what will they get and when will they get it? What about kids less than 2 or adults over the age of 49?

There are still some unanswered questions regarding H1N1 vaccination but the CDC is making every attempt to educate health care providers and patients about the risks associated with swine flu this fall/winter. Let's hope that the vaccine gets distrubuted effectively so that people are protected this flu season.

FDA authorizes emergency H1N1 test

In the primary care setting, it can be very challenging to accurately diagnose influenza. Now, we have to worry about a specific type of flu, H1N1 (also known as swine flu). Fortunately, the FDA has authorized the use of a diagnostic test for emergency use. Here are a few snippets from the FDA press release:

FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Another Test for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus

The EUA for the Focus Diagnostics Influenza H1N1 (2009) Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic test is the third diagnostic test authorized under an EUA by the FDA since the public health emergency involving the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus was declared on April 26, 2009. The Focus Diagnostics test amplifies the viral genetic material obtained from swabs of the nose or throat, or from nasal discharges. A positive result indicates that the patient is infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. However, the test does not indicate the stage of infection. A negative result does not preclude influenza virus infection.

The EUA authority allows the FDA, based on the evaluation of available data and other things, to authorize the use of unapproved medical products or unapproved uses of approved medical products following a determination and declaration of emergency. The Focus Diagnostics test is an unapproved device whose use is authorized by the EUA. The authorization ends when the declaration of emergency is terminated or when the FDA revokes the authorization.

Emergency Use Authorization is part of Project BioShield, which became law in July 2004.
Focus Diagnostics is based in Cypress, Calif.

How much swine flu vaccine will we need?

How much is enough? That's the question of the year as we prepare for the worst part of the swine flu pandemic. We know that swine flu (influenza H1N1) has spread throughout the U.S. and healthy people are dying from this common illness.

CNN has a story titled, "CDC: U.S. may need 600 million swine flu vaccine doses." Is 600 million doses going to be enough? What if we need more? Each adult will probably need two separate doses of vaccine (two shots, ouch!). According to CNN, "Congress passed a supplemental appropriation for $7.5 billion, which President Obama recently signed, to cover the costs of preparing for the virus, which includes a vaccination campaign." New and old pharmaceutical companies around the world are racing to prepare a safe and effective swine flu vaccine. Will they be prepared before it's too late? What if they're not safe? These are some of the questions that health officials are facing. To read the CNN story, click here.