Case Update
Updated January 6: Five deaths from swine flu have been reported
in the Health Department's district: Two Kenton County women in
their 50s, a Kenton County woman in her 60s, a Boone County man in his 20s
and a Boone County woman in he 30s. One additional death associated
with swine flu was reported in Northern Kentucky in Pendleton
County, which is under the Three Rivers Health Department's
district.
Three hundred and twelve
cases of swine flu have been
lab confirmed in Northern Kentucky since late April 2009; however,
this figure may not accurately represent all cases. Most
individuals are currently being
tested for flu, and if the test is positive for flu it is assumed to
be the swine flu, as seasonal flu is not currently circulating in
the community. In most cases, samples from sick individuals are only
tested specifically for swine flu if the person is sick enough to be
hospitalized or is at high risk of complications (such as a pregnant
woman). Reports of flu-like illnesses are gathered regularly from
schools and health care providers to give a picture of how many
people are ill. This process is similar to how seasonal flu is
tracked each winter.
Since late October, close to 30,000 people have
received the swine flu vaccination directly through various clinics
held by the Health Department.
In addition, more than 66,000 doses of the
vaccine have been distributed to more than 90 medical providers, focusing on those
people in the target populations for swine flu vaccination. The Health
Department has also vaccinated more than 1,000 people in its county
health centers since January.
Fact Sheets
Details about swine flu are contained in our
fact sheet. A
short version is
recommended for those who wish to download information and make copies to share
in the community.
The short version is also
available in
Spanish.
Frequently Asked Questions
For basic information on swine flu, including
prevention,
read our fact sheet. For specific
questions, read a list of commonly asked
questions. If your question isn't answered here, you can submit it.
For Medical
Providers
Physicians' offices, pharmacies and other health care
providers are able to register a medical clinic or practice to possibly become a
swine vaccine provider for the current flu season The Health Department is strongly
encouraging Northern Kentucky practices that reach a high percent of high
priority groups for vaccination, including children, pregnant women, and health
care/emergency services personnel, to register to provide the vaccine.
For more information, please contact Jean Caudill at 859.363.2009
or by e-mail to
Jean Caudill.
Counting
Cases of Swine Flu
Testing and treatment for
swine flu are based on several factors, including the person’s symptoms and
his/her medical history. Ultimately, the decision to test and how to treat a
person is up them and the doctor providing care.
Read some examples to see how cases of swine
flu may be treated or counted.
Swine Flu
and Schools
The Health Department has put together an
overview of swine flu issues related to
schools, including issues such as surveillance, cleaning and prevention.
Seasonal Flu
Learn more about the seasonal flu, including the schedule for seasonal flu
vaccination clinics.
More
Information
Submit a question by e-mail
Call the swine
flu information line at 859.392.0678
Info
en espanol (Printable
fact sheet in Spanish)
Flu.gov
Kentucky Department for Public
Health's swine flu page
Greater Cincinnati Health Council's swine flu info
