State official warns Iowans to get H1N1 vaccination before 'third wave' hits

The state's medical director Monday urged Iowans to get H1N1 vaccinations before a “third wave” of the influenza virus likely hits the state this winter.

“We are going into our typical flu season,” said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director and epidemiologist for the state Department of Public Health, who got her H1N1 vaccination at a Polk County clinic Monday.

“Since H1N1 is still around and still causing people to get sick, I believe that we are going to have more illnesses and deaths, particularly in January and February,” she added.

Iowa has received more than 800,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine so far with more on the way. The state also has seen at least 36 confirmed H1N1 deaths and nearly 700 H1N1-related hospitalizations.

Quinlisk said the impact has been widespread with all parts of Iowa seeing school closures due to large numbers of affected children, increased hospitalizations and deaths that have exceeded initial expectations.

“I would say we had more activity this fall than we had expected. But fortunately we have not had the high rates of serious disease and deaths that we had thought might occur,” she said.

“Now, we're about to go into our coldest, driest, hardest part of the winter when we expect to have the highest rates of flu activity. So we are very concerned that this is going to get going again,” she added. “The good news is that there is enough vaccine for everybody to go in and get vaccinated.”

Monday marked the first day that state health officials lifted restrictions that limited tight supplies to high-risk groups and made the vaccine available to everyone.

Quinlisk said it is important that Iowans take precautions now because the upcoming holidays pose increased exposure to the influenza virus when people travel, return home for college or engage in other interactions that likely will create a “third wave of illness” in January and February.

To drive home the point, she showed up at a Polk County clinic to get her H1N1 shot to demonstrate the safety and importance of the vaccine. She noted that she previously was not included in the targeted priority group because she does not provide direct patient care.

“I wanted to make sure that I was protected,” Quinlisk said. “I do not want to get sick with this particular kind of influenza.”