Marshall Democrat-News: News : Flu News

Flu News

Influenza A H1N1 is causing concern worldwide as it nears pandemic status. These stories include the latest news from health officials and advice for how to prevent and treat the disease.

H1N1 vaccines not in high demand, health department officials report (UPDATE 2:45 p.m. Dec. 16) (12/15/09)
Only 2,529 H1N1 flu vaccines have been administered in Saline County, health department Assistant Administrator Russ Donnell reported to the department's board of trustees at its meeting Tuesday evening, Dec. 15. That is approximately 10 percent of the county population...

H1N1 vaccine now available to general public (12/08/09)
After being restricted to priority groups for about two months, the H1N1 vaccine is now available to all Saline County residents, health department Assistant Administrator Russ Donnell said Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 8. He said the department continues to receive shipments of the vaccine, and now many of the high-risk individuals in the area have been vaccinated...

Health department warns of H1N1 scam (12/04/09)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has verified reports of fraudulent e-mail messages referencing a CDC sponsored "State Vaccination Program," according to a news release from Saline County Health Department Friday, Dec. 4. The phishing messages request users create a personal H1N1 vaccination profile on the CDC's Web site, www.cdc.gov. The message also states that persons age 18 and older must put their personal vaccination profile on the Web site...

Health department announces H1N1 vaccine clinic in Slater (12/01/09)
Saline County Health Department will conduct an H1N1 vaccine clinic at Slater City Hall from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009, the department announced in a news release Tuesday, Dec. 1. The only vaccine that will be offered at the clinic is the nasal spray, which contains a live, attenuated version of the H1N1 virus, or LAIV. This type of vaccine is approved for people aged 2 to 49 who are not pregnant and do not have underlying health conditions...

County health department to host H1N1 vaccine clinic (11/25/09)
Saline County Health Department will conduct an H1N1 vaccine clinic at Marshall High School from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, the department announced in a news release Wednesday, Nov. 25. The only vaccine that will be offered at the clinic is the nasal spray, which contains a live, attenuated version of the H1N1 virus, or LAIV. This type of vaccine is approved for people aged 2 to 49 who are not pregnant and do not have underlying health conditions...

Health department moves to new priority group for H1N1 vaccines (11/03/09)
More Saline County residents may be able to receive the H1N1 vaccine now, health department officials said in a press release Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 3. The department is moving to the second, more inclusive vaccination priority group because some vaccine from previous shipments, specifically the mist form, has not all been used, Administrator Lisa Thomas said in the release...

Flu news: National emergency declared for H1N1 epidemic, locally, little changes for now (10/29/09)
Over the weekend, President Obama declared the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, epidemic a national emergency, which allows hospitals to move emergency rooms offsite in order to help separate H1N1-infected and noninfected patients. On Thursday, Oct. 22, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Margaret Donnelly announced that pregnant women and children aged 3 and younger could opt to receive an H1N1 vaccine containing a mercury-based preservative...

Initial doses of H1N1 vaccine arrive in Saline County (UPDATED 10:04 a.m. Oct. 14) (10/13/09)
The first 300 doses of H1N1 vaccine arrived in Saline County Tuesday, Oct. 13, and were distributed to four area health clinics. "Today we have placed H1N1 vaccine in the community," Saline County Health Department assistant administrator Russ Donnell announced during the Saline County Health Board meeting held Tuesday evening.

H1N1 vaccine on its way to Saline County, health department official says (10/08/09)
The H1N1 vaccine will soon be available in Saline County, health department Assistant Administrator Russ Donnell said Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8. Donnell said the health department received notification Thursday that its vaccines have been shipped, but he doesn't know how long it will take for the doses to arrive. The vaccines can only be delivered on business days; so if they don't come Friday, Oct. 9, they cannot be deposited until Tuesday, Oct. 13, because of the Columbus Day holiday...

Seasonal flu shots available at area pharmacies (09/24/09)
Although Saline County Health Department is running low on seasonal flu shots, there are other locations where area residents can get vaccinated. Red Cross Pharmacy on the Marshall square is administering flu shots from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary to get a vaccine, though there is some minimal paperwork involved...

Flu vaccine shortage causes cancellation of several clinics (09/22/09)
Saline County Health Department officials announced Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22, that several seasonal flu clinics have been cancelled and no further appointments will be taken for seasonal flu shots. Flu clinics scheduled for Malta Bend on Sept. 24, Arrow Rock on Sept. 30 and Marshall at the Martin Center on Sept. 29 have been canceled, according to a news release from the health department...

Slater student tests positive for H1N1; County health officials remind high-risk residents to seek treatment promptly (09/09/09)
Saline County Health Department Administrator Lisa Thomas said she received official confirmation Wednesday, Sept. 9, that one student from the Slater school district had contracted the H1N1 virus. Last week, Thomas told The Marshall Democrat-News that two sick children from Slater had seen a Columbia pediatrician to be tested, and it was likely they had the flu...

2 Slater students being tested for flu / Malta Bend dismisses classes because of spike in absences (09/03/09)
Saline County Health Department Administrator Lisa Thomas said late Thursday morning that she had received verbal confirmation from a Columbia physician that at least one, and possibly two, children from Slater had been seen and tested for H1N1, a pandemic strain of flu that health officials are concerned could have a resurgence this fallbut that test results confirming the presence of the virus had not been received...

Malta Bend School takes a break to break grip of illness | Other area schools prepare for flu season onset (UPDATE: 10:25 a.m. Sept. 3) (09/03/09)
Malta Bend School will not be in session Thursday, Sept. 3, or Friday, Sept. 4, in an effort to stop the spread of illness through students and staff, school officials said. "We sent home 25 percent of students with fever," said Superintendent Melissa Vesser. "In an effort to stop the spread we are not in session."...

County health officials prepare for flu season (08/26/09)
As fall approaches, the collective worry about H1N1 flu, sometimes referred to as swine flu, is increasing. Saline County Health Department Assistant Administrator Russ Donnell is working hard to make sure the county is prepared for the virus. Donnell is currently writing a plan for mass vaccination that must be turned in to the state by the end of August...

Flu News: Cases as of Thursday morning, May 21 (05/21/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 20 May 2009, 41 countries have officially reported 10,243 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 80 deaths. The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map.

First H1N1 flu-related death reported in Missouri (05/19/09)
A St. Louis County man died today from medical complications he developed after coming down with a severe case of the flu caused by the 2009 H1N1 virus, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The man, age 44, is the first Missouri resident and the eighth person in the United States to die after becoming ill with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus, commonly known as the swine flu. ...

Flu News: Cases as of Tuesday morning, May 19 (05/19/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 19 May 2009, 40 countries have officially reported 9830 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection, including 79 deaths. The breakdown of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases by country is given in the following table and map. Map of the spread of Influenza A(H1N1): number of laboratory confirmed cases and deaths [jpg 613kb]...

Flu News: Cases as of Friday morning, May 15 (05/15/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 15 May 2009, 34 countries have officially reported 7520 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 2446 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 60 deaths. The United States has reported 4298 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 449 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death...

Flu News: Cases as of Thursday morning, May 14 (05/14/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 14 May 2009, 33 countries have officially reported 6497 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 2446 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 60 deaths. The United States has reported 3352 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 389 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death...

Flu News: Cases as of Wednesday morning, May 13 (05/13/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 13 May 2009, 33 countries have officially reported 5728 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 2059 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 56 deaths. The United States has reported 3009 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 358 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death...

Flu News: Cases as of Tuesday morning, May 12 (05/12/09)
As of 06:00 GMT, 12 May 2009, 30 countries have officially reported 5251 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 2059 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 56 deaths. The United States has reported 2600 laboratory confirmed human cases, including three deaths. Canada has reported 330 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Costa Rica has reported eight laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death...

Missouri health authorities confirm four more cases of H1N1 flu (05/11/09)
Four more cases of the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, were confirmed in Missouri over the weekend, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services. Three cases were found among adolescents in the St. Louis suburbs and a fourth was found in a child in Kansas City. The new illnesses bring the total confirmed and probable cases in Missouri to 18...

Flu News: Cases as of Monday morning, May 11 (05/11/09)
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 10, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention As of 06:00 GMT, 11 May 2009, 30 countries have officially reported 4,694 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. Mexico has reported 1,626 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 48 deaths. ...

State health lab confirms one new case of swine flu (05/07/09)
Missouri health officials confirmed Wednesday that a St. Louis County teenager had contracted the same strain of swine flu that has infected at least 642 people nationwide, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

Flu News: Do face masks help? (05/07/09)
Yes. A bit. Face masks are loose-fitting, disposable masks that cover the nose and mouth. Face masks may help most by stop droplets from being spread by the person wearing them when they sneeze or cough. They also keep splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the face mask...

Missouri health officials confirm four new cases of swine flu (05/06/09)
Four new cases of swine flu were detected in Missouri Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 12, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The new cases of swine flu, also known as the 2009 H1N1 virus, were found in Platte, Jackson and St. Charles counties. They were discovered during testing of specimens sent to the state Public Health Laboratory by doctors whose patients reported flu-like symptoms...

Flu News: Cases as of Monday morning (05/04/09)
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 3, 2009 11:00 AM ET) Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens...

Saline County Health Department implements plan for H1N1 flu should cases evolve (05/04/09)
Saline County Health Department is taking significant steps to deal with a new strain of H1N1 flu which has prompted federal officials to declare a nationwide health emergency, according to a news release from the department. Missouri received confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control on May 1 that a woman in Platte County who recently traveled to Mexico had tested positive for the H1N1 flu...

Second Missouri case of H1N1 confirmed (05/04/09)
Missouri health officials on Saturday discovered four probable cases of swine flu from the Kansas City metropolitan area, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The new findings bring the number of probable or confirmed cases in Missouri to eight...

Howard County family members are latest probable cases of H1N1 flu (05/02/09)
The two probable cases of H1N1 flu that Missouri health officials discovered late Friday involve a father and son from Howard County who had recently traveled to Mexico, according to a May 2 news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

Flu News: Cases as of Saturday morning (05/02/09)
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 2, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) Virginia 2 Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mexico has reported 397 confirmed human cases of infection, including 16 deaths. The higher number of cases from Mexico in the past 48 hours reflects ongoing testing of previously collected specimens. The United States Government has reported 160 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death...

FDA, FTC warn public of fraudulent 2009 H1N1 influenza products (05/02/09)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, according to a news release from federal government officials...

Two more probable cases of H1N1 flu found in Missouri (05/02/09)
Missouri health officials on Friday discovered two probable cases of H1N1 flu in a central Missouri family that had recently traveled to Mexico, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The two cases were found during testing of specimens sent to the State Public Health Laboratory by doctors whose patients reported flu-like symptoms. Tests showed that the flu virus afflicting the two patients is a previously unseen type...

CDC confirms Missouri's first case of new flu strain (05/01/09)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today confirmed that a woman in Platte County contracted the same virus -- influenza A(H1N1) -- that has sickened at least 141 people nationwide, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

2 possible H1N1 cases in Mo. | Local officials meet to review plans (05/01/09)
Two Missourians are suspected of having contracted 2009 H1N1 influenza, but neither case has been confirmed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to information from Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The virus's rapid spread from sources in Mexico prompted the World Health Organization to declare a "phase five" alert Wednesday, April 29, just one step short of declaring a pandemic exists...

Flu News: Cases as of Friday morning (05/01/09)
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of May 1, 2009, 11:00 AM ET) Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention Mexico has reported 156 confirmed human cases of infection, including nine deaths. The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (34), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8)...

Flu News: WHO says travel restrictions not effective in this case (05/01/09)
The World Health Organization reiterated it's stance against implementing travel restrictions, saying the step would not have a significant effect in slowing the spread of influenza A(H1N1) virus, according to a Friday, May 1, announcement...

Flu News: Nothing to sneeze at (04/30/09)
Because H1N1 can spread among humans by the same means as seasonal flu, coughing and sneezing properly are recommended by health officials. Sneezing safely is a simple step to help slow the spread of the virus. Learn how to sneeze properly and safely with a video titled "Why don't we do it in our sleeves."...

Flu News: WHO flu name shift attempts to absolve pork (04/30/09)
The World Health Organization announced Thursday, April 30, that it will begin referring to the flu-that-everyone's-concerned-about as influenza A(H1N1). The commonly used name for the virus, swine flu, apparently was found to be misleading. For one thing, the virus appears to be a combination of swine, avian and human viruses. For another, the term may have caused unfounded concern about pigs and pork products...

Flu News: Cases as of Thursday morning (04/30/09)
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection (As of April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET) States # of laboratory confirmed cases Deaths South Carolina 10 Texas 26 1...

Flu News: Links to more info (04/29/09)
Swine Flu Info ...