Contact: Amber Fossen, Lane County Public Information, 682-3718 (media); Community members with H1N1 questions should contact Lane County Public Health at 682-4041

Lane County Public Health is advising groups of people at higher risk for influenza complications to contact their doctors by telephone at the onset of influenza-like symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment with anti-viral medicine may keep members of these groups healthier and out of the hospital:

• Children under age 5, especially children younger than 2 years old.
• Pregnant women.
• Children and adults with certain special health care needs ages 5-64 years with chronic medical conditions that put them at risk for complications from influenza infection. This includes patients with serious asthma, other lung disease, heart disease, diabetes or those with neuro-developmental and other conditions that increase risk of choking.

While vaccine is in such short supply, the focus for vaccination has been narrowed to the groups listed above and to household contacts and regular caretakers of infants under 6 months of age. These groups are being urged to get vaccinated as soon as possible as supplies permit. Vaccines are available at a number of community partners and at Lane County Public Health. Check out www.lanecounty.org and click on “H1N1 Vaccine Locations”.

Following state recommendations, Lane County Public Health is currently reserving appointments for children through 5 years old, and for children and adults with medical conditions. Community members within these groups may contact Public Health at 682-4041 for an appointment. Appointments are made based on vaccine availability. Public Health has been working to assure that targeted populations have access to the vaccine and continues to work closely with school districts and other local community partners to provide the vaccine.

The state has added a nurse help line to its flu hotline. People with flu-like symptoms may call to check if their condition should be treated with more than home care. The hotline number, which includes help in Spanish, is 1-800-978-3040.

Watch out for symptoms that indicate an urgent need to be seen. These symptoms include:

In children

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash

In adults

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
  

If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, you should go to the emergency room. The emergency room should be used only for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. You may give the disease to others, or you may be exposed to other illnesses.

Most people with 2009 H1N1 influenza have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs. Home care should include lots of fluids, acetaminophen or other anti-inflammatory medication. Take care not to spread the infection to others in your household. There are still lots of flu like illness in the community. Estimates are that your chances of being hospitalized with influenza are considerably less than one in a thousand if you are a healthy adult or older child.

Additional Resources:

www.lanecounty.org

www.preparelane.org

www.flu.oregon.gov

www.cdc.gov

Additional information on Seasonal Flu and H1N1 is available on Lane County Public Health’s flu line at 682-4181.

Amber Fossen

Public Information Officer

Lane County Government

125 E. Eighth Ave.

Eugene, Oregon 97401

(541) 682.3718