H1N1 News
News and programs from WAMU 88.5 and NPR related to the new H1N1 pandemic.
Local Swine Flu Vaccination Centers
View WAMU - Local Swine Flu Vaccination Centers in a larger map
Virginia To Receive More Doses Of H1N1 Vaccine
November 20, 2009 - By Bill Redlin
Just over one million doses of the H1N1 vaccine are being allocated to sites in Virginia in the state's effort to vaccinate people against the swine flu.
Virginia health commissioner Dr. Karen Remley says while influenza-related illness has gone down to five percent of visits to emergency rooms, there are many who are ill, and that 27 deaths have now been reported around the commonwealth.
Shipments of the vaccine went out this week to colleges and universities, including the University of Virginia, which held a vaccination clinic Thursday. Remley says influenza cases reported this fall are typically H1N1. Remley says samples taken from patients have not detected the seasonal flu virus yet.
Montgomery County Struggles To Meet H1N1 Vaccine Demand
November 19, 2009 - By Jonathan Wilson
Health department directors are still urging people to get the H1N1 vaccine, but responses from residents have varied across the region.
D.C.'s health director Dr. Pierre Vigilance says some of the district's clinics have been packed, while others, especially in the eastern part of the city, have not. "The further east that we've gone, and in ward seven and ward eight particularly, I've noticed that we've not had as much uptake of the vaccine in those areas," says Vigilance.
Mark Hodge, with the health department in Montgomery County, Maryland is facing a different issue. Wednesday morning's appointment-only clinic filled up in 25 minutes. "Every clinic we've done so far we've had to turn people away because we've run out of vaccine," says Hodge.
Hodge says Maryland is relying more heavily on hospitals and private providers. That means Montgomery County's health department has received a smaller percentage of available vaccines than health departments in the district and Virginia have.
But Hodge and Vigilance say there's nothing stopping residents from crossing state or county lines to get H1N1 vaccines.
More H1N1 Flu Vaccine Becoming Available Around D.C. Region
November 18, 2009 - By Matt McCleskey
More doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine are coming to parts the Washington area.
Virginia's Fairfax County is planning a mass vaccination clinic this Saturday at the County Government Center. It will run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the county says it has the capacity to vaccinate up to 12,000 people. Still, due to limited supplies, the vaccine will be available only to people in priority groups including pregnant women, health care workers, those who live with or care for infants younger than six months, children between 6 months and 24 years old, and people with certain medical conditions that put them at higher risk.
Prince William County has scheduled clinics this week at the Manassas Mall from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Monday and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. There's also a clinic from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Gar-Field Senior High School and at various times at county health clinics in Woodbridge and Manassas. All are for people in priority groups.
Maryland's Montgomery County will have 5,000 doses of the vaccine, also for priority groups, this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College.
Virginia Health Officials Say Guillain-Barre Syndrome Million-To-One-Shot
November 12, 2009 - By Michael Pope
Health officials in Virginia are urging people to get the vaccination for swine flu despite growing concerns about side effects.
MSNBC is reporting that a 14-year-old Virginia male contracted Guillain-Barre Syndrome after receiving the vaccination for swine flu. But doctors at the Virginia Department of Health caution that there is no known relationship between the vaccine and the syndrome.
The department has acknowledged that those who receive the H1N1 vaccine have a one in a million chance of developing Guillain-Barre Syndrome. But health officials also say that the risk of developing the disease is ten times less for those who receive the vaccination. And the risk of developing Guillain-Barre is much higher for those who develop swine flu.
The bottom line, according to the Virginia Department of Health, is that the risks of receiving the vaccine statistically outweigh the risks of not receiving it.
Black Clergy At Odds Over Swine Flu Vaccine
November 12, 2009 - By David Schultz
The leaders of some African American churches in the D.C. region are coming together to fight the H1N1 virus, but there's some disagreement when it comes to getting vaccinated.
Reverend Anthony Evans founded the National Black Church Initiative to promote health in African-American communities.
Right now the group is focused on swine flu, and Evans says the vaccination is crucial. But he says there's wide mistrust of the vaccine in the black community, in part because of the Tuskeegee experiments, when doctors conducted unethical medical studies on African Americans. Evans is trying to ease those fears.
"One of our jobs with the National Black Church Initiative is to dispel some of these myths," Evans says, "And to make sure that we act as advocates to work with government officials to make sure that never happens again in our community."
Lanier Twyman is the pastor at Saint Stephen Baptist Church in Temple Hills, Maryland.
He's part of the initiative, but he says he won't get vaccinated. He thinks it hasn't been tested enough.
"I'd like to get some additional information about the vaccine," Twyman says. "I'd like to see some proven methods, tried and true."
Twyman is focusing on other methods to prevent the spread of the swine flu, such as handwashing.
H1N1 Latest Illness Shared By Owners And Pets
November 11, 2009 - By Rebecca Sheir
Word of a cat in Iowa catching H1N1 is now spreading and veterinarians are warning pet owners to be careful.
Lori Price lives in Friendship Heights with her four Greater Swiss Mountain dogs and she adores them. When she heard about a cat in Iowa recently getting H1N1 from its owners, she didn't think about her dogs.
"Frankly, H1N1 has not even entered my mind," says Price. "Maybe it should."
Then again, maybe it shouldn't. The World Health Organization reports most H1N1 infections are human to human.
While WHO hasn't confirmed any canine cases, Ashley Hughes, a veterinarian in Northwest D.C., says the virus could develop the ability to infect dogs. Hughes encourages owners to call the vet if they notice Fido or Rover coughing or sneezing.
Lori Price has her own prescription. "Give 'em big hugs every day," says Hughes.
Unless, of course, you're feeling ill. Then you might want to save the hugs for later.
News from NPR
Tamiflu-Resistant Swine Flu Cluster Reported In NC
November 20, 2009 - Swine flu deaths reported in Wis., Calif., Ill.
Santa Wants Swine Flu Vaccine For Christmas
November 19, 2009 - Swarmed by kids, Santas are asking the government for priority access to the scarce H1N1 vaccine.
As Yule Approaches, Santas Seek H1N1 Help
November 19, 2009 - Holiday season is colliding with swine flu season, and that has Santas concerned. The cheerful Christmas ambassadors come in contact with millions of children each year, and many are being advised to take special precautions. One Santa organization has petitioned a member of Congress to help elevate them to a priority status for the H1N1 vaccine. Ernest Berger, president of the nonprofit volunteer group Santa America, says Santas should be considered seriously for the vaccine because of their close contact with large groups of children.
Swine Flu On Campus Turns Deadly
November 19, 2009 - A group of college health officials tracking the swine flu reported two students' deaths, even as the number of flu cases around the country dropped.
FDA Reassures Doctors Skeptical Of H1N1 Vaccine
November 18, 2009 - Most doctors fully support the H1N1 vaccine, but there are a few who won't back it. Because patients trust their doctors the most for medical decisions, the FDA is trying to assure these doctors of the vaccine's safety.
Hunting For Swine Flu Vaccine
November 17, 2009 - Regional variations in the distribution of swine flu vaccine can make all the difference in where you should look for it.
