A recent article in USA Today about the H1N1 vaccination indicates 80% of 311,000 Texas children are overdue for the booster.  Recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show there is a long way to go to adequately protect adults and children from the return of new H1N1 influenza.

According to Dr. Don Murphey, Medical Director, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, for Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, and Co-Chair of the Infectious Disease and Immunizations Committee for the Texas Pediatric Society, "Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) has arrived this winter, but there has been little influenza so far.  

In the next few weeks we will see the return of seasonal Flu, with the new H1N1 probably mixed in.  There have been lots of young kids hospitalized with H1N1 flu infection.  There have been a few severely ill teens and young adults with H1N1 flu, including the need for ICU care, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support and death.  If folks haven't been immunized against H1N1 influenza, then they should as soon as possible.  If kids under 10 years old did not get a second dose of H1N1 vaccine 4 weeks after the first, then they should go get one as well, to be reliably and completely protected."  Dr. Murphey went on to say that the H1N1 vaccine has been safe and has been effective in preventing the flu.

Texas PTA