Updating the Flu Fighters

Are there any new types of influenza? What viruses are included in this year’s flu vaccine? How is influenza activity monitored?

These are some of the many issues County Senior Epidemiologist Jeff Johnson addresses  at the Kick the Flu Summit, an annual event for nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers—the flu fighters.

Organized by the San Diego Immunization Coalition for the past eight years, the summit takes place one week before the County officially kicks off its flu vaccination campaign, which began today.

“I am very excited to give an update heading into the flu season,” said Johnson, who has worked with the County Health and Human Services Agency for the past 14 years.

Johnson and two other epidemiologists monitor influenza activity throughout the year and provide weekly reports during flu season. How do they do it?

The County has a network of dozens of sentinel sites where doctors voluntarily report positive influenza cases. That’s how Pandemic H1N1 was discovered in San Diego in April 2009.

Johnson and his team also look at emergency room activity related to influenza, as well as severe cases of flu in people who were hospitalized or died because of the flu.

What flu activity is being seen at the moment? Through last week, there had been a total of 28 influenza cases and no deaths since July 1. That is considered normal for this time of year. More than half of those cases were Influenza A, one of the major types expected to be seen this flu season. The other flu viruses expected are Pandemic H1N1 and Influenza B. This year’s vaccine offers protection against all three flu strains.

A new type of swine flu (H3N2v) that was detected in the United States this summer and received extensive media attention is not expected in the region. While there have been more than 300 cases in other states, the virus has not been detected in California. H3N2v is acquired from direct exposure to infected pigs or swine.

“Surveillance is a very important tool we use,” said Johnson, who has already gotten his flu shot. “We must remain vigilant for emergent strains of flu.”