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Healthcare Provider Information |
Address:
Garrett Co. Health Dept.
1025 Memorial Drive
Oakland, MD 21550
Main Phone:
301-334-7777
or 301-895-3111
FAX: 301-334-7701
See department pages for individual phone numbers
E-Mail Webmaster
Alerts: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Previous Alerts
Notes: March 2007 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Previous Notes
Influenza activity remains low, with Maryland reporting only "local activity" last week.
The WHO issued 6 bulletins in February updating human cases of avian influenza in Nigeria, Egypt, and most recently Laos on the border with Thailand. The pandemic among poultry continues, with the most recent extension reaching to England. On a factory farm for turkeys there, over 2000 birds were ill or died, so the entire population of 160,000 there was culled to stem the spread. After initial denials, it was confirmed that the company shipped into England 40 tons of poultry each week from their factory in Hungary, a country actively stricken with the avian flu virus. The avian pandemic has not yet reached North or South America, but when it does it will be a serious threat economically to the poultry industry. Because of infection control practices it is not expected to affect many, if any, poultry workers here.
Pandemic Influenza Preparations-
Research and development in the Pandemic Influenza field continues at an accelerated pace. Viruses which mimic the H1N1 1918 influenza virus have been created in the laboratory and are being used in animal experiments. Prognosticators vary widely in their predictions as to when and how severe the next pandemic will be. Will our medical advances help us? Will society hold together and continue to provide the utilities, food supplies, and "just in time" medical supplies to which we have become accustomed?
The Garrett County share of the current state stockpile of Tamiflu is 250 courses; state purchases are planned to continue over the next 16 months to include 2500 more courses for Garrett County. The current federal prioritization for use of this number of courses would be exclusively for treatment. Even direct care providers will not be given prophylaxis from this stock, but should practice recommended infection control practices and seek medication only if developing fever and symptoms. In 2002, probenecid was found to elevate and prolong blood levels of oseltamivir by 100%, but this option for extending the supply has apparently not received further study.
Those are the headlines, but don't send in your order, yet. One approved vaccine developed a very low of immunity in humans, but was approved so the government could continue to support the work, and perhaps use this vaccine as a primer for a better vaccine that could come later. A second vaccine, or projected vaccine development, was approved pending insertion of a novel virus into the process and later demonstrate safety and effectiveness. The exercise was undertaken to shorten the certification period once a novel influenza virus is identified and inserted into the pre-approved process.
They do have a vaccine for chickens but it is in short supply. Culling seems a cheaper and as effective control method in factory-raised poultry.
Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening - Slots for New Clients are Available in our cost-assisted screening Program!
We are looking for women age 40 and above, particularly those over 50, who are uninsured and not currently receiving annual screening for breast cancer to fill out a limited number of "slots" that have become available. If we can not find these new women for this program, the slots and money will go to other counties.
Rotavirus Vaccine cleared for Continued Usage
Intussusception, a form of bowel obstruction, occurs spontaneously in the absence of vaccination. The number of intussusception cases reported to date after RotaTeq®administration does not exceed the number we would expect to occur without vaccination and the available evidence does not indicate that RotaTeq®is linked with intussusception. CDC continues to believe that RotaTeq® is safe and effective and supports the ACIP recommendation for routine immunization of all U.S. infants with three doses of RotaTeq®administered orally at ages 2, 4 and 6 months.
HPV Vaccine, Tdap Vaccine, Zoster Vaccine
We have them all now and hope that you do too.
The HPV Vaccine, Gardasil - can be started as young as age 9. The hope is to over the years to reduce the cases of cervical cancer and genital warts. Regular Pap smears will still be necessary.
Boostrix or Adacel - can be started from age 10 or age 11, respectively, given one time, targeted to boost waning immunity to diphtheria and pertussis, as well as tetanus. This is designed to lessen the pool of asymptomatic and undiagnosed adult carriers of these diseases which still present a threat to infants who have not yet acquired immunity.
Zostavax - is recommended from age 60 to prevent reappearance of varicella as Zoster. The vaccine contains the same live modified varicella virus as the Varivax vaccine for children, but at 14 times the dose. The testing did not include, and labeling does not cover, persons younger than 60, or persons who have already had an episode of Zoster. Meanwhile, more young people are being seen with Zoster.
Regular Reports: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -Previous Reports
Infection Reports:
WMHS - updated March 2007, GCMH updated March 2007
WMHS March 2007 Clinical Newsletter: Unusual Fungal Infections
References:
Advanced Directives/Living Wills
Quick Guideto Protecting Yourself and Your Family
Four Simple Things You Can Do to Protect You and Your family
Immunization Schedules and State Regulations
Maryland Lead Follow-Up Recommendations
