Collin County preparing for possible swine flu resurgence

by Bill Baumbach of The Collin County Observer

The Collin County Commissioners Court, meeting as the Health Care Trustees, will consider a contract Monday (PDF) with the state department of health to purchase an unspecified amount of anti-viral drugs at a below market price.

These anti-virals will be part of the county's planned response to a likely swine flu (H1N1) outbreak this fall. The World Health Organization reports that H1N1 flu has reached pandemic proportions and is spreading worldwide. The WHO notes the rapid spread of H1N1, along with the normal season flu in the southern hemisphere, where the winter flu season has already begun.

According to the WHO, the United States has, by far, the largest number of cases of H1N1 in the world.

As of July 6, the WHO reported over 94,000 cases of H1N1 worldwide. The U.S. accounted for almost 34,000 of these cases amounting to over 1/3 of the infections in the world. The U.S. is also among the leaders in mortality cased by the H1N1 virus. While the U.S. reports it has 36% of the flu cases worldwide, it also accounts for 39% of the deaths from the flu. The world death rate from the flu is .45%; in the U.S., it is .50%

Texas, according to CDC statistics released last week, has reported over 5,100 cases of the swine flu, with 27 deaths. Texas mortality rate is slightly higher than the national average at .52%

As of July 20, Collin County reported 76 cases and no deaths.

County health officials do plan on acquiring swine flu vaccines as well as the more traditional season flu vaccines when they become available -- probably in September. According to Candy Blair, the county's director of health care services, the vaccines would first be made available to first responders and health care professionals, then to those citizens in high risk groups.