1. What is 2009 H1N1 Flu?
2. What are the Flu symptoms?
3. How does 2009 H1N1 Flu spread?
4. Can people get 2009 H1N1 flu from eating pork?
5. How long can a sick person spread 2009 H1N1 Flu to others?
6. How severe is illness associated with this 2009 H1N1 Flu virus?
7. Who are the target groups for this new vaccine?
8. What can I do to protect myself from getting sick from 2009 H1N1 Flu?
9. Who should get the 2009 H1N1 Flu vaccine?
10. Where will the vaccine be available?
11. Will two doses of vaccine be required?
12. What will be the recommended interval between the first and second dose for children 9 years of age and under?
13. What should I do if I get sick?
14. What are the emergency warning signs to seek medical care immediately?
15. Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1 Flu?
16. How long should I stay home if I am sick?
17. How can I get a test for 2009 H1N1 Flu? 
18. Where can I get more information?

1. What is 2009 H1N1 Flu?

2009 H1N1 flu is an influenza virus that has spread worldwide. Because this virus is very different from current seasonal influenza viruses, many people will not have protective immunity against it and the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against it either.

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2. What are the Flu Symptoms?

Flu symptoms can include
-Fever of 100° or greater*
-Cough
-Sore throat
-Runny or stuffy nose
-Body aches
-Headache
-Chills
-Fatigue
-Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting

* It is important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

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3. How does 2009 H1N1 Flu spread?

Both 2009 H1N1 flu and seasonal influenza are thought to spread mostly from person to person through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with influenza. People also may get sick by touching something with flu viruses on it, and then touching their mouth or nose.

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4. Can people get 2009 H1N1 flu from eating pork?       

The 2009 H1N1 flu is not a food borne disease, it is a respiratory disease. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to remind consumers that all meat and poultry products are safe to eat when properly prepared and cooked.

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5. How long can a sick person spread 2009 H1N1 Flu to others?

People infected with 2009 H1N1 flu may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to about 7 days after getting sick. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems.

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6. How severe is illness associated with this 2009 H1N1 Flu virus?

2009 H1N1 Flu illness has ranged from mild to severe. Most healthy people who have been sick with 2009 H1N1 have recovered without needing medical treatment, however, hospitalizations and deaths from 2009 H1N1 have occurred. Most people who have been hospitalized with 2009 H1N1 have had a medical condition that places them at higher risk of serious flu-related complications.

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7. Who are the target groups for this new vaccine?

Target Groups

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8. What can I do to protect myself from getting sick from 2009 H1N1 Flu?

CDC recommends a three-step approach to fighting the flu: vaccination, everyday preventive actions including frequent hand washing and staying home when sick, and the correct use of antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them.

Everyday actions can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. (Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.)
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Stay home if you are sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
• Be prepared in case you get sick and need to stay home for several days; a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues, facemasks and other related items might be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious.

A vaccine against 2009 H1N1 flu is being produced. To protect those at greatest risk of 2009 H1N1, CDC recommends that certain people get the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine first when it becomes available. These key groups include people who are at higher risk of getting sick or having serious flu complications, those who are likely to come in contact with 2009 H1N1, and those who could infect young infants who cannot be vaccinated themselves.
This includes:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or provide care for children younger than 6 months age
• Health care and emergency medical service personnel
• People 6 months to 24 years of age
• People 25 to 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications because of an underlying health condition or compromised immune systems

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10. Where will the vaccine be available?

Vaccine will be available in a combination of settings such as vaccination clinics organized by local health departments, healthcare provider offices, and other private settings, such as pharmacies.

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11. Will two doses of vaccine be required?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older. This is slightly different from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC’s recommendations for seasonal influenza vaccination which states that children younger than 9 who are being vaccinated against influenza for the first time need to receive two doses. Infants younger than 6 months of age are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.

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12. What will be the recommended interval between the first and second dose for children 9 years of age and under?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the two doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine be separated by 4 weeks. However, if the second dose is separated from the first dose by at least 21 days, the second dose can be considered valid.

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13. What should I do if I get sick?

If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms this flu season you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to seek medical care. Most people have been able to recover at home from 2009 H1N1 without needing medical care and the same is true of seasonal flu. However, some people are at high risk of serious flu-related complications. They are:

• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• Pregnant women
• People 65 and older
• People who have:
• Cancer
• Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
• Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
• Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
• Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)

If you (or your child) are in one of the groups above and develop flu-like symptoms, consult a health care provider to get advice about seeking medical care. Also, it’s possible for otherwise healthy people to develop severe illness so anyone concerned about the illness should consult their doctor.

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14. What are the emergency warning signs to seek medical care immediately?

Emergency warning signs in children:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and wore cough
• Fever with a rash

Emergency warning signs in adults:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

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15. Are there medicines to treat H1N1 flu?

Yes. There are prescriptions drugs called “antivirals” that can treat influenza illness, including 2009 H1N1. These drugs can make illness milder and may also prevent serious complications. The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs this flu season is to treat people who are severely ill (hospitalized) and sick people who are at increased risk of serious influenza-related complications.

Evidence for benefits from antiviral treatment in studies of uncomplicated seasonal influenza is strongest when treatment is started within 48 hours of illness onset. Initiating treatment as soon as possible after illness onset is also thought likely to reduce the risk of severe outcomes including severe illness or death. However, some studies of hospitalized patients with seasonal influenza treated with oseltamivir have suggested benefit, including reductions in mortality or duration of hospitalization, even for patients whose treatment was started more than 48 hours after illness onset. Persons at higher risk for complications from influenza or who have already developed severe illness should be treated as quickly as possible after signs or symptoms develop.

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16. How long should I stay home if I am sick?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick. If you must leave the house (for example to see your doctor),  wear a facemask, if you have one and it is tolerable, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others.

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17. How can I get a test for H1N1 flu? 

As of May 1st the Illinois Department of Public Health is recommending that testing for 2009 H1N1 flu be done only for hospitalized patients with severe illness. Persons with mild illness should not be tested for influenza. This is because persons with mild influenza-like illness can be medically managed without a laboratory test. In order to determine whether the 2009 H1N1 flu virus is causing severe illness is Illinois, IDPH is focusing its testing efforts and laboratory resources on hospitalized patients with sever illness.

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18. Where can I get more information?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continually posts new or updated information on their 2009 H1N1 website called What’s New.