 "Photo: MCT Campus")
 "Photo: MCT Campus")
It has infected 400 students at San Diego State and Student Health Services asked for 15,000 doses of vaccination for last month. What is this mystery virus stirring up so much controversy and skepticism? The 2009 H1N1 “swine flu.”
Although SDSU has asked for the vaccination, it has received none and no information on exact dates for vaccine disbursement has been provided either to SHS or San Diego County.
The 2009 H1N1 is a new influenza virus causing illness in people worldwide according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. It was first detected in the U.S. in April, and by June the World Health Organization labeled it a pandemic. Scientists have called it a “quadruple reassortant virus” because it has two genes from viruses in European and Asian pigs, birds and humans.
To avoid H1N1, people should wash their hands frequently, use alcohol-based hand cleaners, avoid touching their face and most importantly get vaccinated. Natural remedies are not an option and the Federal Trade Commission is skeptical about products that claim to prevent or treat H1N1.
Two versions of the vaccine include the live intra-nasal vaccine, a nose spray and an inactivated virus shot. The vaccine uses a dead or weak virus to stimulate the immune system’s defense against infection. When available, the CDC and SHS is giving vaccine priority to those who are pregnant, living with or caring for children younger than 6 months old, those in the health care field, those between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old and those between the ages of 25 and 64 who are unhealthy.
The federal government purchased 250 million doses early last month and began distributing shots on Oct. 12. According to the CDC the H1N1 vaccines are available, but limited. Availability for states is based on population and amount available at the distribution depots. People are encouraged to contact their health care providers.
Currently the six county public health centers and the one immunization clinic has the nasal spray available on a first come, first served basis for healthy people between ages 2 and 24 that are not pregnant according to the San Diego County Web site.
“We are waiting for the state to open up and allow us to order additional vaccine for the month of November,” spokesperson for the San Diego County Health and Human Services Holly Crawford said. “Currently private providers are continuing to receive vaccine from the October order.”
According to SDSU Medical Director Gregg A. Lichtenstein M.D. M.B.A., California only received 45 percent of the 411,000 H1N1 vaccine doses it was supposed to receive for October. The next disbursement may be delayed because the San Diego County Department of Public Health accidentally received 78,000 doses. At the end of last month, almost all of the vaccine shots were gone and the sites that had shots, were reserved to treat pregnant women. There were 3,000 nasal doses throughout all San Diego public health centers. The county CHP could not say when SDSU would receive a large amount of the vaccine, so the hopeful plan of a mass immunization is on hold, according to Lichtenstein.
“We still hope to hold (the mass immunization) and have everything in place to begin at a moment’s notice,” SHS Administrative Manager Joanne Stroud said. “In the meantime, students who meet the ‘high risk’ criteria are strongly encouraged to seek the vaccine at the various county outlets. We are concerned that our students don’t understand the importance of getting immunized and we are not alone.”
“Personally I think people are a little too paranoid about it,” psychology junior Alison Vandehei said. “My friend had it last week and she is fine now, but when she tells people that she had it they freak out and don’t want to be around her. I think the media has kind of blown it out of proportion so I guess my level of fear would be like a six out of 10.”
According to Lichtenstein, SHS has discontinued testing for H1N1 because the CDC and local health department do not recommend it. It was discovered that almost all the patients with influenza-like symptoms have H1N1 and because the tests are costly and time-consuming, there is a lack of incentive for SHS to provide this service.
“Even if we found out the results, it would not alter how we treat someone, as we focus antiviral treatment on the people most at risk for complications,” Lichtenstein said.” There are rapid tests for influenza A and B, but they are not very good at picking up or ruling out H1N1, even though it is a strain of type A flu.”
The CDC Web site states the H1N1 vaccine is as safe as the seasonal flu vaccination and has similar potential side effects including fever, nausea, fainting and tenderness of the vaccination location. Along with the FDA, the CDC will be monitoring side effects closely.
“If the Student Health Services will test for multiple other conditions, but not the swine flu, that is unreasonable,” international security and conflict resolution senior Kendra Rom said. “If they are just trying to give students basic health services and testing is limited, that’s understandable.”
In 1976 the H1N1 vaccination was associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a condition in which the body damages its own nerve cells. It was found that stimulation in the nerve system might cause this and after receiving the vaccination there was an increase of one case per every 100,000 people.
“In contrast, influenza kills 13.8 people per 100,000 per year and 49 additional pneumonia and flu-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people year,” Lichtenstein said.
SHS Pharmacy Technician Roberto Rios, is not worried about the H1N1 flu and says SHS should be receiving the vaccine within the month.
For more information call 211 or go to www.211sandiego.org.
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