By: Health Insurance
Submitted: 2009-12-19 17:15:15 | Word Count: 352
The 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged in the United States in April and has since spread worldwide; it is the United State’s first flu pandemic in 40 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
On Tuesday, Greene County Health Unit administrator Linda Hutchinson said the county has received thousands of H1N1 shots and she is determined to administer them down to the last dose at Thursday’s flu clinic.
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Vaccinations against the seasonal and H1N1 influenzas are free and available to everyone at East Side Baptist Church on East Court Street from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday. The insured should bring proof of health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or ARKids First cards so ADH can file with their insurance providers. Hutchinson said. The uninsured will not be charged for vaccinations.
The H1N1 virus has claimed the lives of 20 Arkansans, according to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). The first death linked to the H1N1 virus, that of a 46-year-old woman, was reported by ADH on Aug. 10
According to the CDC, influenza activity resulting from the virus occurred throughout the summer and by late August, activity had begun to increase in the southeastern United States. Since August, activity has increased in all regions of the United States and as of Oct. 31, nearly all states were reporting widespread viral infection.
From April 26, the CDC has received 145 reports of pediatric deaths (17 years of age or younger) associated with influenza infection. As of Oct. 31, pneumonia or influenza was reported as an underlying or contributing cause of death for 7.4 percent of all deaths reported through the CDC’s 122 cities mortality reporting system, which summarizes mortality data by age group for all-causes and pneumonia and influenza from 122 U.S. cities.
