Spring could bring end to long flu season

Warmer weather could mean the end of Iowa's unusual flu season.

Or not.

Flu cases typically wane in the spring, but this season's influenza has been anything but typical.

Iowa's first case of seasonal flu wasn't reported until February, when the state is usually hitting its peak.

Only a handful of seasonal flu cases - a B strain - have been reported so far, in central Iowa.

Meanwhile, H1N1 flu hit hard and heavy, much earlier than usual.

Officially, 41 Iowans died and 575 hospitalized.

Dr. Andrew Nugent, interim chairman of the University of Iowa department of emergency medicine, said emergency room cases there for flu-like illnesses spiked in October to about 60 per day, compared to five or 10 cases typically at that time of year.

State epidemiologist Dr. Patricia Quinlisk said flu victims were younger than usual and because the elderly showed immunity to the strain, there were fewer deaths.

“This was not hitting the more vulnerable population,” she said. “Still, I don't want to minimize it. There were quite a few younger adults (who died) and children.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that at least 11,690 Americans died from H1N1 between April 2009 and this year.

Quinlisk noted that H1N1 emerged in the United States last spring and continued throughout the summer.

“This virus doesn't seem to be afraid of warm weather,” she said.

Still, health experts are hopeful the predicted third wave of the flu pandemic won't pan out.

Curtis Dickson, director of Linn County Public Health, and his Johnson County counterpart, Doug Beardsley, both cited effective vaccine clinics and prevention campaigns in stemming what was predicted to be a horrific flu season.

“With all things considered, we had an excellent community response to the campaign,” Dickson said. He noted that 30 percent of the county was vaccinated, compared to less than 10 percent in a typical year.

Because of distribution delays, the general public didn't have access to H1N1 vaccine until the virus had been circulating for months.

Public health departments stressed the “three C's:” coughing into your elbow; cleaning your hands thoroughly and containing germs by staying home when ill.

“I'd certainly like to think it had some effect,” Beardsley said. “Sometimes we got message fatigue here, but we can't do too much in terms of public education and public information.”

Some counties are still distributing H1N1 shots.

Dickson said about 25,000 doses are left in Linn County. Residents can call the health department at (319) 892-6000 for an appointment.

The Johnson County Visiting Nurse Association distributed a record number, with nearly 5,300 seasonal flu shots, plus 500 H1N1, said executive director Suellen Novotny.

“There was an absolute demand,” she said of the group's clinics. “People were out the doors and we were there for hours.”

Novotny noted that the H1N1 vaccine will be included in seasonal shots next season, so only one shot will be needed.

Most H1N1 vaccine will expire this summer.

Quinlisk said getting a shot this spring could still provide immunity for next season, and because the vaccine was purchased by the federal government, it's free now, but won't be next fall.