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Editor's note: For additional articles on H1N1, click here.
People with asthma ages 6 months to 64 years should get a seasonal flu shot and the injectable 2009 H1N1 vaccine as soon as it's available in their area, according to experts from the Department of Health and Human Services and CDC. Children 6 months to 9 years old will need two doses of the H1N1 vaccine.
The CDC cautions that people with asthma should not use inhaled flu vaccines due to an increased risk of wheezing post-vaccination. Also, any form of the vaccines could be dangerous to people who have severe egg allergies because the vaccine manufacturing process involves the use of chicken eggs.
HHS and the CDC recently used a conference call format to get the word out that asthma patients infected with the H1N1 virus "can get very sick, very quickly." Of those who have had serious complications from H1N1, one-quarter have been people with asthma. If a person with asthma develops flu-like symptoms including cough, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, dizziness and confusion, he or she should not hesitate to call their physician or visit the emergency room.
Those who do become ill should immediately receive the antiviral treatment oseltamivir, also known as Tamiflu. People with asthma should not receive zanamivir, also known as Relenza because it has been associated with adverse affects such as bronchospasm. There have been no reports of adverse drug-to-drug interactions with oseltamivir and common medications used to treat asthma.
As of this writing, 46 states are reporting widespread influenza activity, which is almost unheard of this early in the year. Fortunately, the H1N1 vaccines being distributed this month are a close match to the virus that is circulating at this time.
The U.S. government has purchased 250 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine, and approximately 90,000 distribution sites are being organized across the country. Most states will have hotlines in place to help people find those locations. The nasal spray H1N1 vaccine is now becoming available, and the inactivated H1N1 flu shot that asthma patients should receive is being distributed. Seasonal flu vaccines already are widely obtainable.
Because people with asthma are a high-risk group, vaccination is a priority. However, prevention tactics such as thorough hand washing in addition to vaccination are crucial. Patients should have a written asthma action plan that they follow daily. If a person's asthma is under control before flu season, it will put them ahead of the game. Parents should make sure their children's action plans are on file at school and day care centers, and that their children's asthma medications are easily accessible there.
During this new pandemic since April, most people affected have been under 25 years old. Seventy percent of hospitalizations related to H1N1 have had one or more medical conditions that increased their risk of influenza, including chronic lung diseases. Thirty percent of people hospitalized for H1N1 complications have been otherwise healthy.
The CDC encourages everyone to visit www.flu.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for updates on H1N1 vaccination guidelines and tips for prevention.
Sharlene George is an editor at ADVANCE.
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