Small Town News

Grant County trails local area in health "emergency"

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Grant County commissioners declared "a state of emergency" in the county last Tuesday, Nov. 3, due to the H1N1 pandemic.

As a result, a health district officer directs the health district, hospitals and local governments within the county to implement their pandemic influenza emergency plans.

"Over the past weeks we have seen an increase in patients hospitalized for influenza-like illness, said Dr. Alexander Brzezny, Grant County health officer. "The problem is being complicated by insufficient amount of available vaccine."

From Sept. 19 through Oct. 31, there have been 19 deaths linked to the new flu and 736 people have been hospitalized statewide.

"Unlike seasonal influenza, the new strain of influenza is infecting the younger population in greater numbers," Peggy Grigg, a health district official stated. "We understand that people are frustrated with the lack of H1N1 vaccine available in our community. Our planning is to determine vaccination needs based on which people are most impacted by influenza."

Due to lack of sufficient vaccine, most of the population will remain vulnerable to H1N1 influenza for at least several more weeks and perhaps for several months, health officials stated.

Officials also stated that most cases of H1N1 influenza are relatively mild, but the large number of cases has been straining outpatient clinics, and the cases requiring hospitalization have been straining local and regional hospitals.

The situation is just the opposite in Grand Coulee Dam District schools.

. "Things are back to normal," one official stated.

Earlier, the schools had registered a large number of influenza-related illnesses with some schools showing absentee rates of 20 percent.

Since then, many students in all three schools - Lake Roosevelt High School, the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School and Center School - have received the H1N1 vaccine. The numbers then dropped significantly.

School nurse Cheryl Fercha praised parents who kept their students home when they showed signs of the illness. She reported a week ago that absenteeism was back in the normal 4-5 percent range. That would mean some 30-35 students are absent each day.



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© 2010 The Star Grand Coulee, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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