Swapping the swine for summer time
Swine flu took the country by storm this past winter.
In July the H1N1 influenza strand peaked throughout the country, and health services were swamped with flu victims. With hindsight Medical officer for regional public health Doctor Margot McLean says it was managed well by health services.
?The management of this was important before we entered the ?manage it? phase, and this time was very intense for public health.
?Eventually it was impossible to stop the spread in the community, but we did really well,? Dr McLean says.
By working closely with community health providers and equipping hospitals with anti-flu equipotent, the influenza season was fought against vigorously by the public health sector. Dr McLean says taking on telephone evaluations of patients helped ease the burden on health centres and hospitals.
?That was very helpful as it allowed us to access if people had really bad symptoms and if they should go to a doctor,? she says.
Based at Hutt Hospital, Mrs McLean says The Capital and Coast, and regional health boards received safe city awards in recognition of their work protecting the community during the crisis. The vaccination against swine-flu is currently not available in the country, and will be included in next year?s annual influenza vaccination around March 2010.
?I?m very pro vaccination, and this winter showed particular groups were vulnerable, such as pregnant women, and people with high BMI (body mass indexes).
?Unless there is some change then we will be promoting the vaccination around late February,? she says.
The northern hemisphere is currently entering a winter influenza season, and the possibility of the virus travelling here is highly possible, but its spread would be unlikely in summer.
?It seems unlikely it will get a hold, there may be the odd case though.
?With summers arrival the rates have gone right down now,? Dr McLean says.
