Published: November 04, 2009 03:39 am      

State’s efforts to educate about H1N1 prove dedication

As concerns about H1N1 continue to escalate, officials are working to boost efforts to educate residents about the disease in West Virginia.

The extra work started Monday when Gov. Joe Manchin announced stepped-up education efforts in the state’s fight against swine flu.

He couldn’t have timed the announcement better. We’re just over a month into flu season, and West Virginia has already reported as many as seven deaths that could be a result of swine flu. Health officials estimate that thousands of people could die from swine flu-related causes this season, and when combined with the average number of lives claimed by seasonal influenza each year — 36,000 — it’s hoped that people will be at least a little more vigilant when dealing with their sore throats and runny noses.

So the stepped-up efforts such as those announced by Manchin — students will be taking home letters and fact sheets about the safety and effectiveness of the H1N1 vaccine; 114,900 vaccine doses have been distributed throughout the state’s 55 counties; and state health officials have launched a new Web site as an additional resource — should help curb residents’ fears about the spread of illness in the Mountain State.

Of course, as Manchin has reminded, we also must remember the basics: Wash hands frequently, stay home from school or work if sick, and seek treatment for flu symptoms. Signs of the H1N1 strain are fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, chills, headaches, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting.

The state’s Chief Health Officer, Dr. Cathy Slemp, said she expects that West Virginia will have enough vaccine doses by January. That’s further good news as we continue to fight this latest strain of flu, especially for people who can be classified in one of five groups considered at risk for the illness and who are being given priority for the vaccine. Those include pregnant women, adults caring for children younger than six months, people between six months and 24 years, adults age 25 to 64 with underlying health conditions, and health care providers working directly with patients.

The Associated Press has reported that nurses, doctors and other providers in West Virginia received an initial batch of the vaccine. Subsequent shipments have gone to the state’s local health departments for them to distribute based on each county’s at-risk population. Doses also are being provided through public clinics, coordinating with private providers and also harnessing existing programs such as Head Start.

Unfortunately, health officials have attributed as many as seven West Virginia deaths to the swine flu: Four cases in Cabell County and a fifth in Wood County have been confirmed, and a cause of death has yet to be determined for a 17-year-old Monongalia County girl with cerebral palsy who died last week after contracting the virus. Kanawha County officials are treating the weekend death of a 58-year-old woman as a potential case as well.

But the fact that state officials are closely monitoring the spread of swine flu — and stepping up efforts to educate us in the process — proves their dedication to making sure as few people as possible are exposed to the disease. We must heed their warnings and do our part to stop the spread of H1N1.