For Immediate Release:

December 23, 2003

Contact:

Sue Denny

Section for Communicable Disease Prevention

573-751-6439

Missouri Experiences Record Numbers of Flu Cases in Recent Weeks

“Missouri and the nation have been experiencing record numbers of flu cases during the last three weeks,” according to Dick Dunn, director, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). “There is very little vaccine available in the public or private sectors, so people at high risk for complications from flu who have not received the vaccine should take advantage of any opportunity to obtain it. The CDC has made a very small amount of vaccine available to DHSS, and we have distributed it to local health departments,” said Dunn.

Missouri has reports of 7,355 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza from October 1 to December 20 - 1,689 of which were reported during the last week of that period. There were 150 cases during the same time last year. “We had a total of 4,318 laboratory-confirmed cases during the 2002-2003 season,” said Dunn. The disease is widespread in 36 states. In addition, three Missouri pediatric deaths associated with influenza have occurred in a 3-month-old, 6-month-old and 2-year-old.

While the flu vaccine is the best protection from catching the flu, people who do not have access to the vaccine can still protect their health with a few common-sense practices:

• Wash your hands often with soap and hot water.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
• Eat sensibly.
• Get enough rest.
• Stay at home when you are ill with flu symptoms.

People at high risk for complications should also contact their physicians to see if they need a pneumococcal vaccine, which can be given at the same time as the flu shot. Pneumococcal pneumonia is a frequent complication of influenza for high-risk people. Generally, a one-time shot is all that is needed for protection in otherwise healthy people.

Physicians often do not treat otherwise healthy people with medications for the flu. They recommend bed rest, plenty of fluids, and medications for fever and aches, such as Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin. However, if you or a person you care for has not recovered after a few days or if symptoms worsen, you should consult your health care provider.

On December 11, 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new recommendations and priorities regarding who should receive influenza vaccine at this time.

• Injectable vaccine should be targeted for persons at high risk for complications from influenza: healthy children aged 6-23 months, adults over age 65, pregnant women in their second or third trimester during influenza season, and persons over two years of age with underlying chronic conditions.
• Persons at high risk should search locally for vaccine if their usual health-care provider no longer has vaccine available.
• All children at high risk, including those aged 6-23 months, who report for vaccination should be vaccinated with a first or second dose, depending on vaccination status. Doses should not be held in reserve to ensure that two doses will be available.
• Next priority should be given to vaccinating those persons at greatest risk for transmission of disease to persons at high risk, including household contacts and health-care workers.
• Healthy persons 5-49 years of age should be encouraged to be vaccinated with intranasally administered live, attenuated influenza vaccine, or FluMist.
• Decisions about vaccinating healthy persons, including adults aged 50-64 years, with inactivated influenza vaccine should be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on local disease activity, vaccine coverage, feasibility, and supply.

Some states have reported deaths from influenza in otherwise healthy children, and the CDC is creating a system to study these deaths. DHSS would like to know about any such deaths in Missouri. If you know of any such deaths, please call 1-800-392-0272. Providers should continue to report all cases of influenza to their local health departments.

People should contact their physicians, their local health departments, or urgent care centers in their localities to determine where they may still get their flu shots. Medicare Part B covers flu shots, as do many health insurance plans. People usually develop immunity to the disease about two weeks after receiving the immunization.

For more information contact your physician or your local health department.