College students and administrators can’t breath a sigh of relief over the dwindling number of H1N1 virus cases just yet, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday.
Sebelius and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Influenza Coordination Unit Director Dr. Stephen Redd participated in a conference call with college journalists to address the state of the H1N1 pandemic and spread awareness of the H1N1 vaccine to college students.
‘We often have less flu in January, but flu is unpredictable,’ Sebelius said. ‘Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself.’
Redd said that about one of every four children and college students has been infected with the H1N1 virus since its emergence in April 2009.
‘The virus is still circulating,’ he said. ‘In the last week, about 100 isolates of this virus have been detected and we know it remains a close match to this vaccine.’
Redd also said it would not be unusual for there to be a resurgence of H1N1 cases later in the year.
‘We know from history that flu pandemics come in waves,’ he said. ‘There’s less disease now than during October and November but there are many college students that remain susceptible to this disease.’
Polls have shown that some Americans are concerned about the possible health risks associated with being vaccinated for H1N1, but Sebelius stood behind the vaccine’s safety.
‘We know that vaccine is safe because it’s made exactly the same way as seasonal flu is,’ she said.
Sebelius said 61 million vaccines have been administered in the United States, and Redd said more are available.
‘There are literally millions of doses of this vaccine to receive,’ he said.
The conference, organized by MTV and mtvU’s College Media Network, was part of a larger effort by HHS and the White House to tout the benefits of the H1N1 vaccine to young people.
Sebelius cited other efforts by HHS to make getting vaccinated seem hip.
The Facebook application ‘I’m a Flu Fighter’ was developed by HHS in collaboration with Children’s Hospital Boston’s HealthySocial research project. The application, which has 397 active monthly viewers, allows users to tell their friends they have been vaccinated and serves as a resource for more information on the vaccine.
‘Social media has been an important tool to communicate with young people and all Americans about the importance of getting the H1N1 flu vaccine throughout our vaccination program,’ Sebelius said in an HHS press release. ‘This new Facebook application will help friends encourage each other to get the H1N1 flu vaccine.’
MTV has also been promoting the flu vaccine on TV through its partnership with the White House and HHS. MTV’s ‘It’s On With Alexa Chung’ tested the flu IQ of the general public in a December episode. The network also aired footage of hip-hop artist Jason Derulo getting vaccinated.
‘We know there’s a great chance to get vaccinated now and prevent this disease from occurring in the future,’ Redd said.
Also joining Sebelius on the conference call was 15-year-old Luke Duvall of Arkansas, who was hospitalized in October for H1N1.
‘I was a healthy kid who played sports,’ he said. ‘I never really got sick until this happened to me.’
Duvall spent about a month in the hospital and in a rehabilitation center recovering from the virus. He said he was not vaccinated against H1N1 because at the time he was not in the ‘high-risk’ category that would have made him eligible to get a vaccine.
Now that the vaccine is widely available, Duvall urged college students to take advantage of the opportunity to get vaccinated.
‘I almost lost my life for not getting vaccinated,’ he said. ‘It’s so easy to get vaccinated that it would be silly to not get it and end up in the same situation as me.’