H1N1 Continues to Raise Concern
Adriene Similton
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: News
After 11 more children die within a week, Americans are beginning to look at the new virus making its way into their communities. After its initial break in Mexico this April, the Swine flu or H1N1 virus continues to spread rapidly.
Though the virus finds its way into the news on a daily basis, the claiming of the 11 children last week caused a wake of concern to surface. One of the main concerns is the amount of available vaccines. On Oct. 8 two counties received vaccines in Kansas, Franklin and Saline. However, Saline County, with a population well over 54,000, received 300 doses.
The state health department now expects Kansas, as a whole, to receive about 16,700 doses. That predicted amount doesn't cover half of Saline County, let alone the entire state. By the end of the month, some 28 to 30 million doses should be dispersed throughout the country.
As of Oct. 15, the official 2009-2010 flu season began according to the Centers for Disease Control. They also reported that around half of the child deaths since September have been among teenagers.
Kansas with eight deaths already, is perhaps the least hit by the pandemic. Brazil was the hardest hit with 899 deaths. However, with an average of 36,000 Americans killed by the flu each year, the numbers seem minute thus far.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever above 100.4, cough, sore throat, headache, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea and vomiting. Complications due to H1N1 include pneumonia, respiratory failure and death.
For more information, the Salina Chamber will be sponsoring flu seminars. Del Myers of the Saline-County Health Department is presented "2009 H1N1 Influenza: Why it's Your Business." They are free to the public at the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce development center.
The presentations will be 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, 5:50 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28
The presentations will be today at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28.
Though the virus finds its way into the news on a daily basis, the claiming of the 11 children last week caused a wake of concern to surface. One of the main concerns is the amount of available vaccines. On Oct. 8 two counties received vaccines in Kansas, Franklin and Saline. However, Saline County, with a population well over 54,000, received 300 doses.
The state health department now expects Kansas, as a whole, to receive about 16,700 doses. That predicted amount doesn't cover half of Saline County, let alone the entire state. By the end of the month, some 28 to 30 million doses should be dispersed throughout the country.
As of Oct. 15, the official 2009-2010 flu season began according to the Centers for Disease Control. They also reported that around half of the child deaths since September have been among teenagers.
Kansas with eight deaths already, is perhaps the least hit by the pandemic. Brazil was the hardest hit with 899 deaths. However, with an average of 36,000 Americans killed by the flu each year, the numbers seem minute thus far.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever above 100.4, cough, sore throat, headache, chills, muscle aches, diarrhea and vomiting. Complications due to H1N1 include pneumonia, respiratory failure and death.
For more information, the Salina Chamber will be sponsoring flu seminars. Del Myers of the Saline-County Health Department is presented "2009 H1N1 Influenza: Why it's Your Business." They are free to the public at the Saline Area Chamber of Commerce development center.
The presentations will be 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, 5:50 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28
The presentations will be today at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 28.
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