USFK is Winning the War Against Pandemic Influenza
By Lt. Col. Mitch Meyers, 65TH Medical Brigade
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Since it was first identified in April 2009 the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (pH1N1) has already infected nearly 50 million Americans and caused 10,000 deaths in the U.S., and 130 deaths in South Korea. Read more...
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MEDDAC - Since it was first identified in April 2009 the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (pH1N1) has already infected nearly 50 million Americans and caused 10,000 deaths in the U.S., and 130 deaths in South Korea. Fortunately, it appears that the tide of battle has now turned in our favor. Several months into an aggressive public health campaign USFK is now seeing a dramatic drop in the number of pH1N1 infections in both our military and civilian populations.
USFK pH1N1 infections peaked at 101 cases per week by the second week of November, and then rapidly dropped to 2-3 cases per week for the past two weeks for a total of 533 cases year to date. This rapid decline in cases can be largely attributed to the vaccination of over 32,000 USFK healthcare beneficiaries starting on 7 Nov., after the first doses of the new H1N1 vaccine arrived in country.
Other factors that have helped contribute to the drop in cases include public service messages on good hygiene practices, making hand sanitizers readily available in public places, and extra health education classes at DODEA schools.
Children are at especially high risk, both for catching this virus and for becoming severely ill from it. They are also very good at spreading influenza to other people. Recognizing this, USFK leadership made protecting children their highest priority and started immunizing them almost immediately after the first shipment of H1N1 vaccine arrived.
Additionally, School Nurses, Army Public Health Nurses, and volunteers went to all DODEA schools in the Republic of Korea to give children hands-on classroom training in hygiene methods that limit the spread of influenza viruses and other germs.
The spectacular decrease in pH1N1 cases that we are now experiencing is a resounding public
health success that is the result of good leadership and the coordinated efforts of the USFK community pulling together for the common good.