Don't get complacent about flu threat

Although the second wave of H1N1 flu appears to be winding down, we're not out of the woods just yet.

Health officials say the next wave of flu is just around the corner; it's as important now as it's ever been to practice flu prevention.

That means staying home if you're not feeling well, covering coughs and sneezes, washing your hands and inoculating against H1N1 and seasonal flus, when appropriate.

The number of new cases of H1N1 in Eastern Iowa has slowed considerably, but the threat is far from past. The time to inoculate is now, while vaccine is available and before we're hit again.

H1N1 already has been linked to more than two dozen Iowa deaths, including several in Linn and Johnson counties. Experts expect another wave of H1N1 and the seasonal flu to hit shortly after the Christmas holiday.

Linn County Public Health is offering free H1N1 vaccines this week to people in priority groups: pregnant women; caregivers and family members of children younger than 6 months old; health care and emergency workers; people age 6 months to 24 years old; and 25 through 64-year-olds who are at higher risk for flu complications because of existing health conditions.

All appointments are filled, but walk-ins are welcome from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday at Hawkeye Downs, 4400 Sixth St. SW. You don't have to be a Linn County resident, but you do have to be in one of the above-mentioned priority groups to receive the vaccine, Linn County Public Health spokesman Dave Koch told us Monday.

Koch said there should be plenty of vaccine on hand for however many people show.

“We don't know what to expect,” he said, adding that it took several days for this week's appointments to fill. “We hope it will be busy for those three hours.”

Johnson County Public Health will vaccinate priority group members by appointment only this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call (319) 688-5894 for an appointment.

Priority group members who can't make those free clinics should check with health care providers.

People in other counties should call their local departments of public health to find out how they can vaccinate against H1N1. The Centers for Disease Control recommends people receive H1N1 vaccinations even if they think they've already had the virus.

And then there is the seasonal flu, which requires a separate vaccine - usually available through health providers and other businesses. Each year, about 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related causes, according to the CDC.

For more information and links, also check The Gazette's online flu guide: gazetteonline.com/category/flu

Flu season is far from over. Don't wait until there's another outbreak to inoculate against H1N1 and seasonal flu.