April 26th, 2010
Stacey Page
INDIANAPOLIS—On Monday state health officials announced the Indiana State Department of Health has deactivated its H1N1 flu hotline, due to the lack of call activity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though low, 2009 H1N1 activity is ongoing, and therefore the CDC continues to encourage 2009 H1N1 vaccination for all people 6 months of age and older.
“The deactivation of this toll-free hotline does not mean the 2009 H1N1 flu has gone away. We are still keeping a close eye on this pandemic, and will reactivate the line if it is needed again in the near future,” said State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin, M.D.
“It’s not too late to get your H1N1 flu vaccine,” said Dr. Larkin. “I urge anyone who wants to protect themselves against 2009 H1N1 flu to get vaccinated, but in particular those people at higher risk of serious complications, including pregnant women, people with certain health conditions, and individuals 65 years and older.”
Hoosiers can still find locations for getting the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine by visiting www.in.gov/flu or calling the Indiana State Department of Health at (317) 233-1325. If the call volume of H1N1 flu-related calls to the main Health Department phone line significantly increases, and/or there is an increase in H1N1 flu activity over the coming months, state health officials say they could reactivate the hotline.
The CDC reports 2009 H1N1 deaths have occurred with the greatest frequency in people between the ages of 50 and 64; 80 percent of whom have had an underlying health condition. Health conditions that increase the risk of being hospitalized from 2009 H1N1 include:
· lung disease, like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
· diabetes
· heart disease
· neurologic disease
· pregnancy.
Also, people traveling may be exposed to influenza, and Dr. Larkin recommends the best way to reduce your chances of getting sick from flu during travel is to get the flu vaccine two weeks before your trip.
The Indiana State Department of Health activated the toll-free hotline (1-877-826-0011) for the public to call for information on the H1N1 flu and its vaccine on Monday, Oct. 5, 2009.
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This entry was posted on Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 6:37 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
At least a hundred persons in our city have been infected with the H1N1 virus. I was very scared to get infected with this disease during the pandemic,~”