KPLU Local News
(2009-11-18)
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SEATTLE, WA
(KPLU) -
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All signs show the outbreak of H1N1 flu is tapering off in western Washington. The surge of patients at local emergency rooms is slowing down, and school absenteeism is back near normal. But, the virus is not going away, and neither is frustration over how scarce the vaccine is.
Jeff Duchin, chief epidemiologist for Public Health Seattle & King County, says the frustration is understandable. Shipments of vaccine continue arriving every week, but still less than originally expected. The vaccine goes to medical offices and pharmacies, which tend to run out quickly.
On the other hand, Duchin says, a year ago, nobody ever imagined you could have any vaccine available for the first wave of a new pandemic. "It could have been a situation where people would feel really lucky to have a couple of hundred thousand doses," he says, but now we "feel shortchanged not to have a couple million."
People in the official high-risk groups, which includes all children and young adults, need to keep checking for vaccine. Even though we may have hit the peak for this season, there's still a lot of H1N1 virus circulating. And we may see another surge of infections during winter.
Feeling sick and wondering if you should be worried? Try the federal government's Swine Flu Self-Evaluation
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