Obama Declares "Don't Let Up Now!"

U.S. President Barack Obama and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are leading the way for the "Don't Let Up Now" Campaign to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus. On January 8^th, 2010, Obama proclaimed National Influenza Vaccination Week for January 6-10th, 2010. Obama implores everyone to get the H1N1 vaccination, so that "Together, we can all fight the H1N1 flu, and help protect or families, friends, and neighbors."

However, efforts to get the word out seem to be falling on deaf ears now that Holiday travel is over and the virus has not been as widespread across the country in the most recent CDC reports. The H1N1 vaccine supply is also up, according to the CDC's January 8, 2010 report. Over 136 million doses of H1N1 vaccine were distributed as of January 7, 2010. County health officials and providers are offering vaccinations to anyone who wants to receive them while these vaccinations are still available and the flu season is still active. With the spread of H1N1 down, and the supply of the vaccine up, the health concerns of December seems to dropped Americans' urgency significantly.

Officials are trying to get the word out that the first target groups are not alone any longer. Enough vaccine is available now for everyone to be vaccinated who wants to be. Those who are not at high risk can help prevent the spread of disease by getting vaccinated too, but the preventative attitudes are just not there.

However, the abundant vaccine supply is good news, if only people want to receive it. It was recently reported by the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, MD that some strains of the H1N1 virus have mutated. Even though most deaths have been reported in the initial target groups of pregnant women and those under age 25 and those with underlying health issues, complications and deaths have occurred in all age groups from the H1N1 virus. Everyone who is still unvaccinated is encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to get the H1N1 vaccine now.

Conversely, apathy has replaced the 2009 pandemic panic, probably because of the recent drop in the number of H1N1 cases. Before the Holidays, people waited at the immunization clinic lines, asking questions like: "Can I get the H1N1 shot yet? Is it still just for kids and pregnant women? Is the government trying to kill us off?"

Now, the CDC's H1N1 virus reports are down in comparison to previous weeks. Some people do not want vaccinations and many were vaccinated earlier in the season. Flu immunization clinics across the United States no longer have lines of people desperately waiting for hours to get their turn for vaccination. In the Pima County Arizona area of Tucson, a clinic in the northwest town of Oro Valley administered over 300 vaccinations two weeks before Christmas 2009, and in January 2010 a clinic at the same site only administered well under 140 vaccinations.

President Obama, the CDC, and the Department of Health and Human Services encourage everyone who wants to to get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as possible, in anticipation of an expected spike in the H1N1 flu virus spread in coming months. Traditionally, the flu season picks up speed and can peak anytime through March, according to the CDC's flu questions & answers site. According to the Mollen Immunization Clinics current schedule, the 2010 flu vaccination distribution clinics will likely discontinue wide availability across the U.S.A. around the last week of January.

It takes up to two weeks for the vaccine to bring full protection once administered. The time to receive it is now, before the typical late flu season upsurge and the window of opportunity for receiving vaccinations in the 2009-10 flu season rapidly ends. There is plenty of H1N1 vaccine available for anyone choosing to receive it.

Sources:

www.whitehouse.gov, Influenza Week declaration by Pres. Barack Obama, January 8, 2010
www.pharmacist.com , Influenza Week article by Joe Sheffer, January 7, 2010
www.cdc.gov , Health Alert Network (HAN) Info Service Message, January 8, 2010
www.ama-assn.org, H1N1 declining, but..., by Christine S. Moyer, December 30, 2009
www.flushotsusa.com, Mollen Immunization Clinics
Writer, Lynn Pritchett, professional immunization clinic experience(s)