Local health officials are starting early and ratcheting up their efforts to prepare for this upcoming flu season, as global and national health agencies are predicting swine flu could make its return.

    “We’re hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” said Marie Tucker, health educator for Lewis County Public Health. “We’re pretty prepared for the fact that this may be a big flu season.”

    Every year people die due to complications from the seasonal flu, the only difference is there are two types of flu this year, she added.

    There has only been one confirmed case of swine flu in Lewis County since the original outbreak this year, but Lewis County Health Officer Dr. Rachel Wood anticipates there will be higher numbers of infected in the coming months.

    She said officials expect about 40 percent of people to become ill this flu season, compared to the typical 15 percent, but that it isn’t something that should terrify people.

    “I’m not going to say ‘be afraid, be very afraid,’” Wood said. “But be sensible. I suspect this time next year, we’ll say a lot of people got sick.”

    The county health department has been coordinating with local clinics, doctors and emergency personnel to ensure there is a plan in place on how to deal with this year’s flu season.

    Until the H1N1 vaccine becomes available sometime in early to mid-October, health officials are urging people to use preventative care, mainly washing hands, as a method to control the potential spreading of diseases.

    Though the H1N1 virus has shown a tendency to target unusual demographics, mainly the young, due to the lack of vaccines during the initial release, only key priority groups will have the opportunity to receive the H1N1 vaccine.

    Children 6-months-old to adults 24-years-old, who congregate in large populations are among those listed to receive vaccinations first. Children under 6-months-old are not eligible, due to their immune system not being able to handle the vaccine, therefore family members will be eligible for the vaccine.

    However, everyone who wants to receive the seasonal flu vaccine will be able to do so. But the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the latest strain of swine flu.

    Testing for the flu this fall will also be conducted quicker than during the original outbreak in late April. Patients visiting a clinic or hospital will be tested and have their results back in a short period of time, similar to strep throat testing, Tucker said.

    The test does not differentiate between the two types of influenza A viruses — the seasonal flu and swine flu, and a negative test cannot rule out the potential of swine flu.

    Some tests will still be sent to Centers for Disease Control labs, though the new standard for testing is meant to cut down on the number of tests the federal health organization receives, after being inundated with tests earlier this year.

    Local schools and health centers are also preparing for what could potentially occur if H1N1 makes its return.

A Whole Lot of Hype?

    Not all health care providers are sold on the severity of swine flu. A Mossyrock doctor sent out an e-mail to his patients saying the only difference between swine flu and the seasonal flu was “media hype.”

    Dr. Kevin McCurry said people should be “just as concerned about swine flu as the regular flu,” adding that tens of thousands of people die every year due to complications caused by the seasonal flu.

    He also expressed some concern towards the new H1N1 vaccinations, saying he would not provide them at his clinic, Riffe Medical Center, He is skeptical about the safety checks done on so many vaccinations, so fast.

    Wood said she asked those same questions of state health officials, and said she would give her teenage children the vaccine.

    “I have to believe in the system,” she said about the same safety procedures being conducted on the new H1N1 vaccine.

    McCurry stresses that he’s not downplaying the importance of preparing for the flu.

    “The main message is good hygiene and taking care of yourself,” McCurry said, “especially if you have a chronic underlying disease.”