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BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals announced earlier this week that the H1N1 flu vaccine is now available to anyone in the general public. Interested residents should call their provider to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine, and can view public providers of the vaccine on the H1N1 flu shot locator at www.FightTheFluLA.com.
This Week's H1N1 Vaccination Campaign Highlights
- The H1N1 vaccination campaign is open to the public as of January 4, 2010.
- Of the 1,837,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine the state has been allocated, the CDC reports that 960,100 doses of H1N1 vaccine have been shipped to Louisiana as of Monday, January 4, 2010.
- 1,302 providers in Louisiana have recorded 284,575 doses of H1N1 vaccine administered in state, as of Wednesday, January 6, 2010.
- The CDC reports that as of Monday, January, 4, 2010, more than 130 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been allocated nationwide.
H1N1 Vaccination Campaign Summary
- People at the highest risk of acquiring the illness and of being hospitalized with the illness continue to be children under four years old and people five to 24 years old. Asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, pregnancy and obesity are leading risk factors for complications from the H1N1 flu.
- The vaccine is now available to anyone, however, target groups for the H1N1 vaccine include children aged six months through 24 years, pregnant women, front line health care workers, parents and other caregivers of children less than 6 months of age, parents and caregivers of people with physical and developmental disabilities, and non-elderly (under 65) adults with pre-existing medical conditions. These groups are considered target groups because they are at higher risk for complications from the virus or transmitting the virus to others.
- A H1N1 flu shot locator is available for public use on www.FightTheFluLA.com.
- DHH has launched a Twitter feed (FightTheFluLA) and a Facebook page to help ensure easy access to up-to-date information regarding the H1N1 virus and vaccine.
- Residents can call 2-1-1 for additional information regarding the H1N1 flu, in addition to visiting www.FightTheFluLA.com.
Overall Influenza Activity
- DHH confirmed one H1N1-related death in the past week, an adult female from Region I (the four-parish region including New Orleans). Louisiana's total of H1N1-related deaths is 41.
- There are now 1,921 total lab-confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in the state of Louisiana.
- Estimates derived by DHH in conjunction with CDC data indicate approximately 222,000 Louisianians currently have or have had the H1N1 flu.
- Louisiana has seen a noticeable decrease in influenza transmission over the past several weeks. However, residents should still take precautions and stay aware of the situation surrounding H1N1 influenza, as transmission could increase again without warning as we move into winter and regular flu season.
DHH's Fight the Flu campaign aims to keep Louisianians healthy by promoting immunizations and good hygiene to prevent the spread of the seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus. For more information on flu activity in Louisiana, including guidance for families and medical professionals, visit www.FightTheFluLA.com or follow the campaign at www.twitter.com/FightTheFluLA.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/.
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