Swine Flu by the Numbers - November 2009

As reported in one of my earlier hubs, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has contracted a number of universities and private firms to aid in the tracking of not only the Swine Flu (actual name H1N12009), but the side-effects from the vaccine as well. This hub, titled Swine Flu Vaccine Side-Effect Tracking can be accessed via the self-titled link at right.

The rest of this hub concerns the effects of swine-flu and the swine-flu vaccine up to the end of November 2009.

According to CDC figures, one in six Americans contracted the swine flu by November 2009. That's roughly fifty (50,000,000) million people or 15% of the entire population.

Because resistance to the virus is acquired by either contracting and successfully fighting off the illness or via an inoculation (which tricks the body into doing the same thing),  this leaves a huge proportion of the population susceptible to the flu.

Of the fifty million, about one hundred (100,000) thousand had to be hospitalized and ten (10,000) thousand died.

The CDC also made the numbers relevant by pointing out that these figures are generally on par (about the same) as would have been reported in a normal winter flu season.

Though the rates of illness, hospitalizations, and death were about the same over all, the actual breakdown of those affected was quite different.

Winter Flu vs Swine Flu
As predicted this form of influenza was much harder on younger people, those under fifty (50), than seasonal winter flu.

Typically, winter flu will kill roughly one thousand (1,000 ) under fifty with the vast majority of deaths attributed to those over fifty years of age.

Swine flu, by contrast, killed seventy-five (7,500) hundred under fifty years of age. Of those eleven hundred (1,100) were children under the age of eighteen (18); this is several times higher than with seasonal winter flu.

This makes fatalities among younger Americans four (4) times higher than with typical seasonal flu.

Vaccine availability continues to grow with eighty-five (85,000,000) million doses now available. Because the "flu season" is still a long way from being over the CDC continues to recommend that the populace be vaccinated.

After all, the typical flu season lasts all winter and sometimes into the spring. In other words flu season typically starts in November and continues until April the next year.

The CDC continues to recommend the following groups be vaccinated:

At Risk Groups:

1. Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
2. Pregnant women
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:

a) Health care workers

b) Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu

c) Household contacts and caregivers of children <5 years of age with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children <6 months of age (these children are at higher risk of flu-related complications)

Those Who Should NOT be inoculated:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
• Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)

List source CDC

The following side-effects have been noted:

Flu Shot

• Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever (low grade)
• Aches

These side-effects will be apparent within a day or two of inoculation.

Flu Mist (Nasal Spray)

In children:

• runny nose
• wheezing
• headache
• vomiting
• muscle aches
• fever

In adults:

• runny nose
• headache
• sore throat
• cough

Lists source CDC

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