Flu Alert from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Please be advised of the following ALERT issued by the Centers For Disease Control reporting increased, severe Seasonal Flu Activity.on-site-immunization-clinics-pittsburgh

It is not too late to offer your Students or Staff  who have not been vaccinated another opportunity for protection against Seasonal Flu!

Different types of Flu vaccine available include:

  • FluMist nasal spray (ages 2-49)
  • Trivalent (protection from 3 Flu antigens)
  • Quadrivalent ( protection from 4 Flu antigens)
  • Fluzone High Dose (ages 65+)
  • Preservative–Free vaccine

Immunizations are a covered preventive benefit on most health insurance plans. We bill the health insurance directly for the claim, so there is no cost to the school or to the individual with coverage.

We can also offer your Staff and Students immunization protection from many other vaccine preventable diseases including, Whooping Cough, Pneumonia, Shingles, Hepatitis, Meningitis, Human Papillomavirus, Measles, and Chicken Pox.

Call Sarah Steranka, our flu shot coordinator, at 412-563-7802 today to schedule an on-site immunization visit from our Nurse!

February 1, 2016 – Flu Alert Details

Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network
Monday, February 01, 2016, 08:50 EST (8:50 AM EST)
CDCHAN-00387

Flu Season Begins: Severe Influenza Illness Reported
CDC urges rapid antiviral treatment of very ill and high risk suspect influenza patients without waiting for testing

Summary
Influenza activity is increasing across the country and CDC has received reports of severe influenza illness. Clinicians are reminded to treat suspected influenza in high-risk outpatients, those with progressive disease, and all hospitalized patients with antiviral medications as soon as possible, regardless of negative rapid influenza diagnostic test (RIDT) results and without waiting for RT-PCR testing results. Early antiviral treatment works best, but treatment may offer benefit when started up to 4-5 days after symptom onset in hospitalized patients. Early antiviral treatment can reduce influenza morbidity and mortality.

Since October 2015, CDC has detected co-circulation of influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09, and influenza B viruses. However, H1N1pdm09 viruses have predominated in recent weeks. CDC has received recent reports of severe respiratory illness among young- to middle-aged adults with H1N1pdm09 virus infection, some of whom required intensive care unit (ICU) admission; fatalities have been reported. Some of these patients reportedly tested negative for influenza by RIDT; their influenza diagnosis was made later with molecular assays. Most of these patients were reportedly unvaccinated. H1N1pdm09 virus infection in the past has caused severe illness in some children and young- and middle-aged adults. Clinicians should continue efforts to vaccinate patients this season for as long as influenza viruses are circulating, and promptly start antiviral treatment of severely ill and high-risk patients if influenza is suspected or confirmed.

Recommendations

  1. Clinicians should encourage all patients who have not yet received an influenza vaccine this season to be vaccinated against influenza. This recommendation is for patients 6 months of age and older. There are several influenza vaccine options for the 2015-2016 influenza season (see http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6430a3.htm ), and all available vaccine formulations this season contain A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09, and B virus strains. CDC does not recommend one influenza vaccine formulation over another.
  2. Clinicians should encourage all persons with influenza-like illness who are at high risk for influenza complications (see list below) to seek care promptly to determine if treatment with influenza antiviral medications is warranted.

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