Flu on rise in Jeffco, school absence figures show

LAKEWOOD – The pace of flu in Jeffco is picking up, a prime indicator suggests, but the percentage of infection remains relatively low, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Health said Wednesday.

The indicator – the county-wide number of school absences attributed to flu-like illnesses – is being used to track the spread of H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, as well as the seasonal flu.

Since Sept. 21, when 1,506 flu-related absences were recorded, the number of suspected flu cases causing kids to miss school rose to more than 2,548 cases by Oct. 2, the latest number available health agency’s web page map of individual school’s absence rates from suspected flu cases.

The map shows there were 4,600 absences on Oct. 2 attributed to other causes or reasons.

The school district’s figures are used by the county health agency to track how widespread the disease has become.

“It gives us a good indication of illness that’s out in the community as a whole,” said Nancy Braden, Jeffco Health spokeswoman.

“What’s important there is that there’s 85,000 students,” putting the actual infection rate in better perspective, she said.

The Jeffco health agency map of student absences indicates Lakewood schools, especially those in the northern and central parts of the city, are especially hard hit.

Most Jeffco cases have been relatively mild, Braden said.

 Most of the county’s active flu cases are believed to be swine flu and the county expects a limited shipment of 5,000 doses of an H1N1 flu inhalant vaccine by week’s end, but it will be distributed first to health-care workers and, if any vaccine is left over, it will go to providers that treat children.

“That flu mist can only be given to healthy (people) ages 2 through 49,” Braden said.

The mist, unlike injectable vaccines, is an “attenuated” or weakened live virus, and people will not get sick from it, Braden said.

The swine flu, which grabbed worldwide headlines as it rapidly spread to pandemic status earlier this year, has heightened public awareness of flu in general and has encouraged more people to get vaccinated for the seasonal flu, which is just making its annual debut in the Rocky Mountain West.

But because doctors, pharmacies, clinics and other flu-shot dispensaries order their vaccine stocks a year in advance, the increased demand has resulted in spot-shortages.

But adequate supplies are available, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

“There appears to be a delay, not a shortage, of seasonal flu vaccine,” said Ned Calonge, the CDHPE’s chief medical officer. “The estimated seasonal flu vaccine production for 2009-10 influenza season is approximately 114-115 million doses nationwide, a record number of doses and more than we have ever given in a single season.”

The state agency maintains a searchable on-line list of locations where seasonal flu shots are available.

About 70 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine have been distributed as of Sept. 25, an estimated 61 percent of the doses that are expected to be distributed for this season.

“Typical seasonal flu vaccination efforts are in full swing in October and November,” Calonge said. “We anticipate seasonal flu vaccination efforts will follow this trend and will continue through the next couple of months.

“This year, with both seasonal and H1N1 influenza circulating in the state, it is important for people to get both vaccines to protect themselves from these viruses. Seasonal influenza vaccines already have been available in the state, and more doses will continue to arrive through the fall,” Calonge said.