November 5, 2009
Human Services
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH
(207)-287-3270
Or John Martins, Director
Employee and Public Communications
(207) 287-5012
AUGUSTA - H1N1 influenza is causing widespread school absentee rates, though no schools have had to close this past week, said Dr. Dora Anne Mills, Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MeCDC) in her weekly press update Thursday. Twenty-five schools statewide have reported high absentee rates and include schools from York to Aroostook County, from Washington to Oxford County, Mills said.
“The good news is that about 100 schools have held vaccine clinics and more than 200 have scheduled clinics this week and next,’’ said Mills. “We anticipated that H1N1 would continue to spread. It has now been confirmed in every county, with Franklin County having its first confirmed case this week.”
Mills said that 10 people were hospitalized this past week, including four children, one young adult, and five middle-aged adults. All the children were otherwise healthy with no underlying chronic conditions.
Three of the people hospitalized spent time in intensive care units, Mills said and eight of the 10 patients have been discharged from the hospital and are recovering at home.
“Although the vaccine supply is trickling in at a much slower rate than we would like, the H1N1 vaccine efforts in Maine are unprecedented,” said Dr. Mills. “This week, about 40,000 doses arrived, for a cumulative total of 138,600 doses. “This is still about one dose of vaccine for every five who are in one of the high priority groups for vaccine, so it is still very hard to find. However, we estimate that 15,000 school children were vaccinated.”
A significant portion of the state’s stockpile of antiviral medicines has been distributed for those who do not have adequate insurance coverage, who are at risk for complications, who are ill with symptoms of H1N1 or have been exposed to a household member with influenza, Mills said.
Some doses of vaccine have also been distributed to health care providers for pregnant women, pre-school aged children, and some older children and adults with very high risk conditions.
“With nine different formulations of the H1N1 vaccine, distribution has been challenging, since each formulation has different age groups and other parameters of who can receive it. However, with new formulations available this past week, we have been able to expand the groups of people to whom we can distribute vaccine,” said Mills.
With H1N1 influenza being so widespread, it is also important that people know what to do if they become sick or are at high risk for complications. Mills stressed that those who at high risk for complications speak to their healthcare providers about the availability of prescription antiviral medicines. Nearly 41,000 courses have been delivered and can help reduce the duration and severity of illness.
To continue to prevent the spread of H1N1 and minimize its impact, the Maine CDC recommends:
For more information and for a list of school clinics for the upcoming two weeks, go to http://www.maineflu.gov .
H1N1 Vaccination Distribution by County as of November 5:
| County/Region | Doses as of This Week | % of Population Doses Represent |
|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin | 13,800 | 13% |
| Penobscot | 17,100 | 12% |
| Kennebec/Somerset | 17,200 | 10% |
| Lincoln/Knox/Waldo | 11,600 | 10% |
| Franklin | 2,900 | 10% |
| Aroostook | 6,600 | 9% |
| Cumberland/York/Sagadahoc | 57,900 | 8% |
| Oxford | 4,600 | 8% |
| Piscataquis | 1,200 | 7% |
| Washington | 2,300 | 7% |
| Hancock | 3,400 | 6% |
| Statewide | 138,600 | 10% |
Towns/Cities where schools are reporting high abseentism
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