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Second wave of H1N1 forecast

City health official says  infection rates are falling,  but another round may  strike in early 2010. 

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By Ryan Gauther, Staff Writer 12:37 AM Sunday, November 29, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown has administered nearly 7,000 doses of swine flu vaccine, according to officials with the city’s health department.

Health Commissioner David Winfough said another 481 people were vaccinated during a clinic held last week at Miami University Middletown. The city has used all but approximately 3,000 doses of the vaccine it has received so far, he said.

“We were somewhat disappointed with the turnout,” Winfough said of the Nov. 24 clinic at MUM. “We’re not really seeing a lot of demand from those in our at-risk groups for the vaccine. It seems like people don’t want it.”

While infection rates have been trending downward, Winfough expects a second wave to hit early in 2010. Similar to the seasonal flu, he said numbers tend to trail off a bit after the initial spike, then jump again several months later.

The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated last month between 14 million and 34 million cases of H1N1 since April, with between 63,000 and 153,000 H1N1-related hospitalizations and between 2,500 and 6,100 related deaths.

Jackie Phillips, nursing director for the Middletown Health Department, said the city has so far received only 10,000 of the 30,000 vaccine doses requested.

Previous clinics have been directed at family members and caregivers of infants 6 months or younger, pregnant women and people between 6 months and 24 years old.

Phillips said vaccinations soon could be available for people between 25 and 64, but a firm date has not been established.

“We’ll take care of people between 25 and 64 who have a high risk of medical complications first,” Phillips said. “Then we’ll open it up to healthy individuals in that age group and, finally, people over the age of 64.”

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