Google is great for all kinds of reasons, other than the fact if they ever go away I will basically loose all the information I have created or gathered in the last 8 years, but that aside….
Google has come up with google flu trends.  Based on google search criteria in different regions of the US google is attemping to predict the severity or flu infection across the world.   From Google:

We have found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Of course, not every person who searches for “flu” is actually sick, but a pattern emerges when all the flu-related search queries are added together. We compared our query counts with traditional flu surveillance systems and found that many search queries tend to be popular exactly when flu season is happening. By counting how often we see these search queries, we can estimate how much flu is circulating in different countries and regions around the world. Our results have been published in the journal Nature.

Check out http://www.google.org/flutrends/ for more info and all kinds of cool graphs proving that you will get sick and that you will be googleing while in bed.

HHS is getting the ordering right, with a supplemental order of an additional 29 million doses of the vaccine that defends against H1n1.

In the recent past there had been much concern that the vaccine was being under ordered leaving millions of at risk Americans susceptible to infection.  Most states are on track for a delivery date some time in the next three weeks with the vaccine now told to be a nasal spray and not delivered by injection.

This additional order comes one week after the FDA formally approved the vaccine. The FDA’s announcement means that CSL Limited, MedImmune LLC, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited, and Sanofi Pasteur Inc., all have the official go ahead to fulfill the first large round orders of the vaccine.

From the Examiner.com

Contrary to earlier reports saying that it may take two doses of the vaccine to provide the proper immunity to the virus, the FDA confirmed – in its press release – that clinical trials indicate “the 2009 H1N1 vaccines induce a robust immune response in most healthy adults eight to 10 days after a single dose.” They go on to say that the response time is typical of even seasonal flu vaccines.

The drug manufacturer Novartis claimed on September, 3,  that “the study showed a strong, potentially protective, immune response in 80% of subjects after one dose.” MedImmune also claims that its intranasal spray vaccine “prompts the body to begin mounting an immune response after the first dose.”

So there you have it, much of the concern of the execution of this vaccine have been solved over the past week, as more information comes in will be posted here. oink oink.

Yay there is an H1N1 vaccination! Hooray the government has bought basically the entire availible supply with the intention on supplying to to Americans!

But wait….where do I get vaccinated?  You could ask your doctor, but he/she dosnt know yet..ok ok why not ask your friends…because they dont know yet…ok, lets ask the CDC they should know about this stuff right? Sorry guys, they dont know yet either.

So what DO we know? Well we know that the first series of 45 million vaccinations are due to land mid October, but I also do know there are 159 million people who fall into the CDC’s recommended for vaccination list (based on age, and health condition)

Colleges and universities will offer the vaccine to students and, in many cases, to faculty as well, either free or for a nominal charge of perhaps $10 to $15 to cover administrative costs.

Most elementary and high schools will not offer the vaccines, however. “Schools have told us that it is too logistically complicated to send a permission slip home and have it returned,” Fielding said. Some schools may serve as vaccination sites, but only as part of a broader community program. Orange County has not yet determined whether it will run school programs, said county health director Dr. Nancy Bowen.

Other vaccination sites in Los Angeles County may include fairgrounds, civic centers, community centers and other facilities that can handle a high traffic flow, provide security and have sufficient parking. They should also be near bus stops or Metro stations, Fielding said. At most sites, the vaccines will be free, but pharmacies and physicians will most likely charge a small fee for administration of the vaccine.

Thanks LA times! that clears it up…or wait..so I can get a shot at a metro station? And the fair ground?

Here is the point I am making, no one has a plan that has been published on how to distribute this thing, no one knows if its going to be free for everyone of if we have to pay, all we do know is the first round isn’t enough and that WE DONT KNOW.

I am not too worried, I ve gotten many a flu and lived to tell the tale, but in the end its very concerning to realize that we plan to help cover the hisk of a large population being infected is not really done yet…with three weeks left before the first round of vaccinations land where ever it is they are landing.

Keep you ears open on this one and I will do the same, until then we can count or selves in the same boat as the rest of the gang…we just don’t know.

There was a lot of confusion about swine flu a few months ago, and now although flu season is upon us no one seems to be that concerned.  Recently the CCDC hosted a 2 day work shop dedicated to the H1N1 virus, in attendance was Newsweek who compliled this great list of 11 things you need to know about swine flu…and here they are:

I’m a healthy adult. Do I need to be vaccinated?
Federal officials do not want to discourage anyone from getting the shot. But the CDC is only specifically recommending vaccinations for people at high risk for complications. “More than half the U.S. population is in these risks groups,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). The groups are:

1) Health-care and emergency workers
2) Pregnant women
3) Children and young adults, from 6 months to 24 years of age
4) Parents and caretakers of babies under 6 months old (since infants under 6 months have a poor vaccine response, the best defense is having parents who are flu-free)
5) Adults ages 25 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions, including diabetes, asthma, and chronic lung disease or heart disease

So the answer to the question is generally no. As a healthy adult with no underlying conditions, you do not need a shot. But according to Schuchat, “Most adults don’t think of themselves as having risk factors, even when they do. They feel fine, they go to work.” If you have diabetes, consider getting a shot. If you have asthma, consider the shot.

When will the vaccine be available?
The government has ordered 195 million doses of vaccine, 45 million of which will be delivered by mid-October. But because most people lack prior immunity to the new H1N1 virus, officials expect that two injections will probably be necessary, spaced three weeks apart. Clinical trials are currently underway to  confirm whether two shots are actually needed and to determine the optimal dose. Re-sults from those trials will be available in late September or early October. But even after receiving the vaccine, a person will take at least five weeks to develop full immunity. (Preliminary reports from some drugmakers suggest that there may be swine-flu vaccines that work with just a single shot, but it’s unclear how that would af-fect the global vaccine supply; the World Health Organization has yet to review the data.)

So even if I get the shots right away, I won’t have proper immunity until December. Isn’t the swine-flu season supposed to peak in October?
Officials don’t know how the swine flu will behave this year. “The only thing that’s certain is uncertainty,” says Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. Officials suspect that the flu season will strike early this year because—in contrast to seasonal flu—H1N1 continued circulating in the United States during the summer. The fact that school is coming back into session will likely fuel the spread. But it’s common for flu to continue infecting people through March or April.

Why are two shots thought to be necessary?
People born after 1957 have not been exposed to a similar virus. The first dose “primes” the immune system to respond, but it’s the second shot that triggers the production of antibodies. This is not unusual. A number of vaccines are given for the first time in multidose series. For example, the seasonal flu vaccine is given in two shots to children under 9 if they’ve never had the flu.

If I receive the swine flu shot, do I need the regular flu shot, too?
Yes, if you’re in the risk groups for both types of flu. That would mean a total of three shots—or four for a child under 9 who has not previously had the flu or been vaccinated for it.

Why does it take so long to produce a vaccine?
It is a multistep process, just as it is for seasonal influenza vaccine each year. However, the new H1N1 virus did not emerge until April in this country, so the process started later than usual. In May, scientists produced a recombinant version of the virus that would grow well in eggs. Vaccine manufacturers take that new virus and inject it into millions of eggs, where the virus replicates. When enough virus has formed, manufacturers harvest the virus, inactivate it, extract individual proteins from the viral coat, and combine those segments with other ingredients to produce a vaccine. (The process at this stage is slightly different for the nasal vaccine, which uses a live, if weakened, virus.) The vaccine then has to pass tests for potency and sterility. And clinical trials are needed to determine the optimal dose and number of shots that people will need. Trials for the H1N1 vaccine were announced in late July and should wind up around late September.

How effective is the vaccine?
It is expected to be very effective. The problem with normal flu vaccines is that influenza viruses are notorious “shape shifters,” says Dr. Jay Butler, director of the CDC’s H1N1 Vaccine Task Force. They mutate rapidly and can even exchange genes with other strains of flu. However, federal officials know from monitoring H1N1 in the Southern Hemisphere this summer that the virus has been unusually stable. Therefore the immune response generated by the vaccine should match the circulating strain of swine flu. “The vaccine will be effective,” says Butler.

Is it safe?
In 1976 more than 500 people contracted an autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barré syndrome after receiving swine-flu shots in response to a small outbreak in Fort Dix, N.J. Some people understandably fear a repeat of that tragic episode. However, vaccine-production techniques have changed since then. Today, vaccines are highly purified to eliminate any potential contaminants. In addition, scientists use only selected viral proteins in the shots, not the entire virus, as they did in the 1970s. “The public is comparing this vaccine to the 1976 swine-flu vaccine,” says CDC spokesperson Abbigail Tumpey. “In fact, the best comparison is to the seasonal vaccines of the last ten years.”

I’m concerned about reports of autism caused by vaccines.
Sore arms and mild fevers are not unusual after receiving seasonal flu shots. “But the science is extremely reassuring” that vaccines do not cause autism, says Kris Sheedy, director of community outreach for NCIRD. Anyone who’s concerned about the mercury-based preservative thimerosal (which is added to multidose vials of flu vaccine to prevent contamination) can request one of the thimerosal-free versions: the nasal vaccine or a single-dose preloaded syringe. The government anticipates having enough of these to meet the demand for young children and pregnant women. (There are some individuals who cannot receive the nasal version, including children under 24 months, children under 5 with asthma or recurrent wheezing, and asthmatics in general.)

This vaccine is egg-based. What if I’m allergic to eggs?
You should avoid the vaccine. If you’re in a high-risk group and you come down with the flu, see your doctor immediately. Antiviral medications, given within 24 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, can dramatically improve one’s outcome.

Until the vaccine is available, what should I do to protect myself?
It’s most important is to wash your hands frequently and well—20 seconds with soap and water—and avoid touching your eyes and nose. Alcohol-based hand gels are also effective. Second, to avoid spreading germs, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, preferably using your sleeve or a tissue. And third, if you’re sick or your child is sick, stay home until the fever has gone away for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.