Dec. 15--Cases of H1N1 flu have fallen sharply. Seasonal flu has not yet surfaced. Vaccinations for each are available across town.
After a fall marked by doom-and-gloom flu news, El Paso County health officials indicated Monday that things are looking up. They are quick to point out, though, that the quiet may not last.
Dr. Bernadette Albanese, medical director for the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment, said cases of H1N1 have fallen "substantially," to levels almost as low as this summer before the fall flu season ramped up.
At the same time, seasonal flu has not been detected when it normally would have been by this time of year. As cases have gone down, supplies of vaccine have shot up. El Paso County has received more than 123,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, Public Health Director Kandi Buckland told the county Board of Health at its meeting Monday.
But health officials warned that the lull doesn't mean the worst is behind us. Albanese said pandemics are often marked by a "third wave."
For H1N1, which saw a wave when it first arrived in the spring and a second one earlier this fall, that could mean yet another spike in cases. And experts aren't sure what flu season will look like with seasonal and H1N1 flu circulating at the same time.
Health officials continue to urge people to get vaccinated. There have been at least 183 people hospitalized with H1N1.
Despite the unknowns, the lull provided some welcome breathing room for a health department that's conducted multiple mass clinics in recent weeks.
Buckland said Monday that the health department delivered 8,262 doses at its mass vaccination clinics, which involved every employee and dozens of volunteers.
She showed board members a slide show that captured the meetings, the long lines, the traffic and other challenges workers took on. Those staff members attending the meeting were recognized with applause for their efforts.
"They just kept administering the vaccine until the line ran out," Buckland said.
Call the writer at 636-0198. Visit the Pikes Peak Health blog at www.pikespeakhealth.freedomblogging.com and the Gazette's Health page at gazette.com/health
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