Information for Doctors
Review Article on Swine Flu March 2010
A review article on 2009 H1N1 “Swine flu” is now available in PDF format for interested readers. The author of the article is a physician at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. This information was originally published in the March 2010 issue of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports, a national medical journal read monthly by physicians specializing in emergency... »
March 12 2010: New CDC Mortality Estimates
On March 12, 2010 the CDC posted an updated estimate of the number of deaths due to H1N1 since the start of the Pandemic in April of 2009. These revised estimates include approximately 59 million infected; 265,000 hospitalized; and 12,000 deaths. These are estimates, not raw numbers, and are based on the assumption that most people... »
Access to Free Tamiflu
Please be aware that medications released from the Strategic National Stockpile, including antiviral medications such as Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza) are meant to be provided at no cost to the patient other than a nominal dispensing fee ($4-$5). The East Central Health District has sent out a blast fax to physicians in Region... »
Dec 15: BMJ Review of Flu Antivirals
A new article was published in “British Medical Journal” in December 2009 reviewing the effectiveness of neuraminidase inhibitors in healthy adults. The outcome of this meta-analysis was that neuraminidase inhibitors (Tamiflu, Relenza) have “only modest effectiveness against the symptoms of influenza in otherwise healthy adults”. Click here for an online version of the article, or... »
Dec 4 Update From DHR: H1N1 Vaccine for Anyone Who Requests It
This letter from the State Health Department was sent on 12-04-2009. H1N1 vaccine supply and demand are coming into balance, so the state is now recommending that physicians no longer need to limit the vaccine to high priority groups. The H1N1 vaccine is now available to anyone who wants it, although the focus should... »
“Roll Up Your Sleeves” poster
The Health Department has produced a poster for clinic or office use that provides information to the public about both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu, including how to prevent it, how to recognize the symptoms, and who should get the vaccines. This poster is available for download and can be printed as needed. Click on... »
H1N1 Vaccine Formulations
This PDF was sent to the medical community by Georgia DHR in late November 2009. It lists all the formulations of H1N1 vaccine, along with important information for each. This might be a useful as a printed information sheet in the vaccine administration area of hospitals or clinics. Click here for the PDF. Updated H1N1... »
Letter from FDA Commissioner Re: H1N1 vaccine
There are many concerns about the current H1N1 “Swine Flu” vaccine. Many in both the medical community and the general public are uneasy about the vaccine manufacturing process and vaccine safety. This letter from the FDA Commissioner explains a little more about the H1N1 vaccine manufacturing process. Letter from Commissioner Hamburg Dear Health Professional 11-10-09 »
Management of H1N1: local consensus
Physicians know that patients become angry when they get markedly different advice from one physician to the next. The anger stems from confusion over what to believe, particulary during a time of crisis such as a severe flu season or pandemic. This confusion can lead to unnecessary visits to health care facilities in an... »
Use of flu rapid tests: CDC
Click here for current recommendations from CDC on the use of influenza diagnostic tests during the 2009-2010 season. Summary: Rapid diagnostic tests have little role in outpatient management of ILI since treatment is based on symptoms and past medical history, not on the results of the rapid test. »
