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My teacher didn’t show up for class Tuesday. His e-mail said he had the flu, and he didn’t want to infect us. My first thought was, “Which flu?”
Although the flu is still the flu, it’s easy to see why the new H1N1 flu is at the top of the influenza virus hot topic list and why people across the United States are clamoring to get the vaccination.
On Oct. 20, the Centers for Disease Control reported that unlike the seasonal flu, which drastically affects people older than 65, the H1N1 flu is hitting young people especially hard. Since the CDC began compiling data on the H1N1 outbreak in April, it has found the greatest impact to be on people 24 and younger.
From Aug. 30 to Oct. 10, 4,958 people were reported hospitalized for the H1N1 flu in 28 states—54 percent of them were under the age of 25. Tragically, 24 percent of this group has died.
People under the age of 65 account for about 90 percent of the 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths. This is completely opposite of the seasonal flu, where 60 percent of the hospitalizations and 90 percent of deaths are in people age 65 and older.
Mark Pfitzner, director of the U’s Student Health Clinic, said every time we’re exposed to a flu virus throughout our lives, antibodies are created to kill it. The body remembers those antibodies, and if we’re ever exposed to that same or similar strain, our immune system will quickly kick in to protect it.
“This is sort of a novel flu,” Pfitzner said. “That’s why a lot of older people are not affected as much, because they’ve been exposed to a similar flu strain in the past. But if you’re a younger person, you’ve never had the ability to be exposed to it prior, so that’s why they are more likely to get sick.”
That’s why the CDC is strongly recommending those who qualify for the H1N1 vaccination to get it, if you can find it. The CDC reports 12 million doses of the vaccination are available out of the 250 million doses ordered. Another 40 million doses won’t be available until November.
On top of that, a study conducted by two professors at Purdue University in the summer warned that vaccinations in November will probably be too late to help most Americans. In “Novel H1N1: Predicting the Course of a Pandemic,” Sherry Towers and Zhilan Feng’s data predicts the peak infection wave will be hitting right now, toward the end of October. Without the vaccination, 5 to 19 percent of the U.S. population will be infected with H1N1 virus during the peak.
“The CDC vaccination campaign will somewhat reduce the number of people infected, but will not have the full efficiency officials hoped for, due to the early fall peak of the pandemic,” the study states.
Once you get the vaccine, Pfitzner said it takes about eight to 10 days to develop protective antibodies. Although its timing might not be ideal, he said he was amazed the CDC was able to get the vaccine made this quickly. Still, he said, it’s important for college students to take personal responsibility for their health.
“We’ve really concentrated on getting the word out that you have to do good personal hygiene, be aware and use hand sanitizers, that kind of thing,” Pfitzner said.
Even if the infection peak has come and gone, there’s still plenty of the flu season left. Getting a flu shot might not have been a priority in the past, and most people don’t bother with it. However, the H1N1 virus is attacking younger people, and U students should take advantage of every precaution available, including the H1N1 vaccination.
Some health clinics have both the injection and the nasal spray formulas of the H1N1 vaccine. If you’re lucky enough to qualify for it, it’s free.
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