Agency confirms 31 cases of novel H1N1 flu in state
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By THATCHER MOATS STAFF WRITER - Published: June 10, 2009
Seventeen more cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Vermont in the past several days, including some cases in elementary and high schools, the state Department of Health announced on Tuesday.
The announcement comes roughly a month after the first case of novel H1N1 was confirmed in Vermont and brings the total to 31, though health officials said there are almost certainly additional unconfirmed cases.
Swine flu has now been found in Bennington, Chittenden, Franklin, Rutland, Grand Isle, Orleans and Windsor counties, but everyone who has caught the flu strain has recovered and no one has been hospitalized.
As the number of confirmed cases pile up, and it's clear people are recovering from the flu strain, the health department is planning to "narrow its focus" to people who are at greater risk, said Health Commissioner Wendy Davis.
Officials are now asking health care providers to only test and treat people who are hospitalized or very ill with influenza-like symptoms and at risk for serious complications, along with people who are ill and spend time in high-risk group settings like long-term care facilities.
"This new flu is clearly in our communities now, and there is no longer any need for most people to get tested to find out if they have it," said Davis. "It's here, and if you have the flu at this time of year, you almost certainly have the novel H1N1 flu."
Part of the reason for this transition is anecdotal evidence that some health care providers have been under strain as they assist a large number of people who believe they have the flu, said Davis.
"Capacity is not infinite, so we're trying to narrow the focus," Davis said.
It's tough to predict what will happen in the coming months with the swine flu virus, said Davis.
"Will it continue at some moderate level? Will it abate and come back in the fall?" are the questions experts are asking right now, she said.
Whatever happens, the health department is gearing up to be able to distribute two separate flu vaccines this fall and winter – a regular seasonal flu vaccine and a vaccine for novel H1N1, as the swine flu is officially known.
The vaccine for swine flu hasn't been invented yet, but Davis said it's on a fast track and predicts it will be available at some this fall or winter.
"That's what we're hearing from folks at the (Centers for Disease Control)," she said.
An additional vaccine would add another "level of scale" to the department's normal immunization campaign that the department needs to be prepared for, said Davis.
Seventeen of the 31 total confirmed cases have been found at schools throughout the state, the health department said. That includes six confirmed cases at two different elementary schools in Williston, four cases at the Rutland Area Christian School and two cases at Rutland High School, the department said.
But there are probably more undocumented cases, Davis added.
"It seems quite likely that there are other students in these and other schools who have H1N1 and aren't being tested, and that's OK," Davis said.
In Williston, school officials have canceled all kindergarten classes for the rest of the year due to the swine flu. At least three of the swine flu cases in Williston schools have been found in the kindergarten class at the Allen Brook School, according to a letter to parents.
Other New England states continue to see new cases of novel H1N1. The number of swine flu cases in Rhode Island has doubled in the last week, reaching 39 total confirmed cases as of Tuesday morning.
Massachusetts reported 86 new confirmed cases on Monday, raising the total to 940.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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