A Nurse Practitioner's View

With all the talk about H1N1 influenza, I think it;s important for folks to understand where the H1 and N1 come from. The "H" comes from the substance hemagglutinin and the "N" comes from neuraminidase . There have been identified influenza strains of the H and N types and this is how some influenza viruses are classified. The particular "swine" flu that has garnered so much attention is of the H1N1 type. A few years ago, the fear was of the avian type, H5N1. This past Spring, the Wall Street Journal Health Blog did a good job explaining some of the background regarding the naming of this particular strain of influenza. This may help us all understand the nomenclature and rationale behind what has become household names.

The New York State Department of Health recently passed emergency regulations requiring all healthcare personnel working in hospital and nursing homes to receive mandatory influenza vaccinations or face termination of employment. I am a vaccine advocate and believe that vaccinations have decreased and in some cases eradicated some infectious illnesses. I do, however, worry about the mandate aspect of this law and how it will be truly be enforced. What do you think? Good idea? Cutting-edge? Violation of privacy? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Here is an article about a drive through flu shot clinic in Pennsylvania. The service is targeted at Seniors and health officials devised a system regarding which lane you drive up to and other logistics regarding the vaccination. At first, I thought it was another gimmick. However the more that I thought about it, it does make sense. I've had a few requests over the years to vaccinate seniors in the drive-by fashion. This always put me in a difficult situation -- not because of the actual injection -- but what happens if there is a reaction and how can I ensure that they wait the recommended 20 minutes post vaccination without driving off into the sunset? From a public health perspective, it makes complete sense. High-risk patients should get the immunizations and we must examine new ways to make this happen. We certainly can't visit them all in their homes. As long as there is a well-thought out system with policies and procedures in place, ideas such as this will prompt us ...