Results tagged “swineflu”

Nearly 300 Californians, including a 7-year-old in Fontana last week, have died of H1N1 while some 5,000 others have been hospitalized. News reports show people trying to sell spots or fake pregnancies in vaccination clinic lines while other studies indicate a lot of people are not even trying to seek help.

Why won't Dr. Jonathan Fielding answer basic questions about H1N1? Reporters at USC's journalism project, Neon Tommy, have done a fantastic job investigating the epidemic disease. Fielding apparently declined to go on KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? Tuesday night to engage in a conversation with Neon's Callie Schweitzer (however, he did speak with host Warren Olney), who in turn published an open letter to Fielding.

Limited supplies of the in-demand H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine are forcing the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to be very strict in deciding who can get the preventative treatment at area clinics, reports the Daily Breeze. Thousands of people hoping to ward off the infectious virus have swarmed clinics and special vaccination events, however now individuals "not deemed at risk for swine flu are being asked to stay away from county-run vaccination clinics until more supplies become available."

For those who plan on getting the H1N1 vaccine and fit into the priority group categories, but don't have insurance, are underinsured or could just use a free dose, rotating free clinics in Los Angeles County open tomorrow. Only a handful are open each day, rotating in different parts of the region.

The swine flu-releated death of a 4-year-old boy in Santa Barbara over the weekend has some worried as large shipments of vaccine has yet to arrive to the coastal county. This comes as the CDC today announced statistics about the age populations most affected by H1N1. 53 percent of the hospitalizations are people 25 years and younger while 39 percent are people aged 25 to 64 and 7 percent are 65 plus. Today's catch phrase is that this is a "young persons disease."

The first round of clinics for free H1N1 vaccinations will open their doors next week Friday, LA County Public Health officials announced today. "This is so residents all over the county that don't have access to health insurance or providers can get vaccinated," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, LA County's Health Officer, this morning in a telephone press conference.

The first batch of H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccinations have arrived in Los Angeles County, health officials announced at a noon press conference today. 92,000 doses are here with larger shipments expected in coming weeks. By the end of the month, 1 to 1.5 million doses should be in local clinics and doctors' offices.

The first batches of H1N1 flu vaccine are expected to arrive next week to clinics and doctor's offices, the LA County Department of Public Health announced today. By the end of the month, most doctors and healthcare providers will have some doses available. Those who fall within defined "priority groups" should contact their doctor about receiving the FluMist nasal spray of the H1N1 vaccine, officials said. Priority is given to young people (in good health) aged two to 24 years of age, healthcare and emergency service workers and people who live with or care for infants less than six months of age.

Are you following doctor's orders this year? “This year both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu virus will be circulating throughout the United States,” said Dr. Gil Chavez, acting chief deputy director of the California Department of Public Health, in a statement today. “I encourage Californians to get a seasonal flu shot now and an H1N1 flu shot when it becomes available later this fall. The seasonal flu shot will not protect you from the H1N1 flu virus, also known as swine flu. It will, however, protect you from the seasonal flu strains that we expect this year.”

Seeing a rise in influenza cases and outbreaks in Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health is asking residents to heed caution. “During this summer, the recommendations for avoiding illness are the same as during the fall or winter months: wash your hands, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you are sick,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, in a statement.

A middle-aged woman with health problems died late May after contracting swine flu, otherwise known as Influenza A (H1N1), the LA County Department of Health is reporting this morning. “Every death is regrettable, but given the number of H1N1 cases in Los Angeles, identifying the new H1N1 strain in someone who passed away with severe respiratory disease is not unexpected. This flu strain continues to follow a pattern similar to regular seasonal flu,” said Jonathan E. Fielding, MD, MPH, Director of Public Health and Health Officer in an e-mail.

The state reports 69 cases of swine flu, including six from LA County, but it appears they are not importing data from Long Beach, which runs its own citywide health department. The oceanside city reports five cases, totaling 74 cases for California by LAist's count.

As predicted by health officials last week, Swine Flu would undoubtedly hit Los Angeles County. That news came Saturday night shortly before the 11 p.m. news hour--it was a total of three then--and today the number was upped to 11 across the county. Five of those cases are in Long Beach.

It's official: There are three confirmed reported cases of Swine Flu, aka H1N1, in Los Angeles County. The word comes from the County health department, who made the announcement last night. One case is a female student at Cal State Long Beach, whose status as "Swine Flu Sufferer" has been in question for several days now, and "the other confirmed cases are in residents of central and southeast Los Angeles," according to the Daily Breeze.

Just in case you really want a lot information, pre-recorded or with a live operator, the state's Department of Public Heath now has the official Swine Flu Hotline at (888) 865-0564. The line is manned from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Today, two Irvine residents await test results for their sicknesses, which are listed as "probable" swine flu cases. Both were in Mexico and the teen has already recovered.

It was only 1976 when Swine Flu was something on everybody's mind. But hey, back then, there was no Twitter. Uh oh!

There are still no confirmed cases of swine flu in LA County, but over at Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, one comrade has fallen sick and 30 that were around him socially have also been quarantined just in case. The marine in question, who had not been to Mexico, is doing well and seems to be improving. Back to LA County, one student at CSULB is listed as a "probable" swine flu case, but test results will not be in until tomorrow. In Ventura County, the first two confirmed cases were announced in Oxnard.

A nearly 2-year-old boy from Mexico City died Monday night in Houston while visiting relatives. He first began showing symptoms on April 8th, four days after he arrived into the states. Dr. Richard Besser, the acting head of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention said today that " it's too soon to tell how fast the swine flu virus is spreading. He said it's too soon to speculate as to whether the virus would become a nationwide problem, and that he doesn't believe the flu strain has become more dangerous." The CDC reports 14 confirmed cases of the strain in California.

The LA County Coroner's office told a group of reporters at 1:30 p.m. that they have "no confirmed swine flu cases at this time." Two recent deaths were reported this morning as possibly related to the disease. After test results, the Coroner's Office said one of the deaths is definitely not swine flu and the other one is inconclusive at this time. However, at a public meeting with the LA County Board of Supervisors, County Health Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding says to expect Swine Flu in LA County. He recommends that you wash your hands often. So far, there have been no deaths in the United States.

He also says "there is no need for alarm." Today's declaration of a state of emergency will quicken government response and aid in limiting Swine Flu's spread as quickly as possible. "[It] sets in motion a series of administrative actions, including ordering all agencies to coordinate with public health officials as needed," the Associated Press explained. Additionally, a local state of emergency was declared today by the LA County Board of Supervisors.

Two deaths in LA County initially listed as caused by pneumonia could actually be swine flu. "Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said his office would collect specimens from the deceased and send them to the county public health department, which would determine whether either person died from the swine flu," said the LA Times. If in fact these were related to the disease, the deaths would be the first caused by it in the United States. The deceased are two men, a 33-year-old from Long Beach and a 45-year-old from La Mirada.

A Catholic elementary school in Claremont has canceled classes for Tuesday because one student is being tested for swine flu. The first grader from Our Lady of the Assumption visited Mexico early last week and is now showing flu-like symptoms.

There have been plenty of suspect cases of Swine Flu in California, but only six have been confirmed, none of those Los Angeles County. However, health officials are investigating the first possible case in Claremont.

As of yesterday morning, only 20 cases of Swine Flu have been reported in the US, with 7 of those cases in California. However, there have been no cases logged in either Los Angeles or Orange counties, and local officials want to get the word out that they are working to prevent the infection from spreading.