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To Hudson County LINCS Community:
Although it seems as though the 2009 H1N1 virus has waned, the
reality is that here in Hudson County we are still seeing Influenza Like Illness
(ILI) activity above what we would normally expect. That means the virus
is still present and circulating here, causing residents to become ill with flu.
Please see below for an excerpt from a letter from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary
of Health and Human Services, regarding the importance of 2009 H1N1 vaccine:
We are at a critical
moment in the fight against the 2009 H1N1 Influenza virus. Nationally,
between April and mid-November, we saw approximately 47 million cases of 2009
H1N1 flu, more than 200,000 hospitalizations, and nearly 10,000 deaths, with the
vast majority of deaths occurring in children and non-elderly adults.
While we are fortunate that flu activity has declined in recent weeks, flu
activity – caused by either the 2009 H1N1 virus or regular seasonal flu viruses
– is expected to continue for months. Flu experts warn that we should
prepare for a possible third wave of H1N1 flu.
The number of people who
get vaccinated against influenza typically drops after November. With more
than 118 million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine having been made available, and
with flu illness declining in many areas, Americans who have not yet been
vaccinated have a window of opportunity to get vaccinated over the next several
weeks which could prevent serious illness and death. That’s why the
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has designated January 10-16 as
National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW).
To this end, Hudson Regional Health Commission is encouraging you
to promote vaccination within your organization, as well as to those your
organization serves. For educational materials on NIVW, please visit
www.Flu.gov/getvaccinated . Please help us spread the message about
the importance of getting vaccinated!
Thank you for your continued efforts during this public health
challenge. Together, we can help reduce the incidence of flu like illness
in Hudson County.
Sincerely,
Monique C. Davis
Monique C. Davis, MPH, CHES
Health Educator/Risk Communicator
Hudson Regional Health Commission
595 County Avenue, Bldg One
Secaucus, NJ 07094
201-223-1133 office
201-558-0691 fax
mdavis@hudsonregionalhealth.org
md1@njlincs.net
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