Health Promotion Programs Quit Using Tobacco Pregnancy/Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Health Shots Diabetes Seasonal Flu Tips H1N1 (“Swine”) Flu Asthma Lead Poisoning Congestive Heart Failure Pneumonia

Update: Oregon Public Health officials have made the H1N1 vaccine available to everyone.

• H1N1 (“swine”) flu tips
• Should I get a flu shot?
• Where can I get a flu shot?
• Is it a cold or the flu?
• Should I see a doctor?
• Online Resources

H1N1 (“swine”) flu tips

Please note: The information on this page is about 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus (“swine” flu). For tips about seasonal flu, follow this link.

The flu is a sickness that infects the nose, throat and lungs. It is caused by the influenza virus.

Seasonal flu—the flu that comes year after year—begins in early October and lasts into May. Getting a flu shot each fall is the best way to prevent the flu.

But this year, there is a new virus. It was once called “swine flu,” but scientists and health care authorities now call it by a more accurate, scientific name: 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus. (We will refer to it here as “H1N1 flu.”)

There are a couple of reasons why H1N1 flu worries doctors:

• First of all, it is a new virus that we haven’t seen before. No one has any immunity to it.
• Second, because no one has immunity, it spread around the world very fast. Health care authorities call it a “pandemic.”
• Third, for some people the seasonal flu or H1N1 flu may cause serious health problems, including hospitalizations and some deaths. But the people who are most affected by H1N1 include young people in their teens and 20s who have never worried about the seasonal flu or getting flu shots.
• Fourth, when H1N1 first appeared, there was no vaccine for it. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has now approved a vaccine, which should be available starting in mid October.

Flu shots will be provided FREE to all CareOregon/Oregon Health Plan and CareOregon Advantage/Medicare members. If you are in a high-risk group (see below), get your H1N1 flu shot as soon as it is available to you.

Should I get an H1N1 flu shot?

Any Oregon resident may get a vaccination to help prevent H1N1 flu. It is especially imnportant for you to get an H1N1 flu shot if you are a member of any of the groups listed below:

• All people from 6 months through 24 years old
  
• Pregnant women and women who may get pregnant during flu season
  
• People who live with children younger than 6 months, and caregivers of these children
  
• Health care workers, emergency medical responders and frontline law enforcement and public safety workers
  
• People 25 through 64 years old with heart and lung disease, asthma and other conditions that damage immunity

Remember: Get your H1N1 flu shot, if you need one, as soon as you can. The CDC has recommended that children 9 and younger get two shots, three weeks apart, and all other people get one shot.

Where can I get an H1N1 flu shot?

• The Oregon Department of Human Services will distribute the H1N1 flu vaccine through the county health departments.
• Each county will set up distribution on its own. Information for your communities vaccine locations can be found here.

Is it a Cold or the Flu?

The flu and the common cold are caused by different viruses. Antibiotics cannot cure a cold or the flu. Cold and flu symptoms are similar.

CareOregon provides one free Healthwise® Handbook for you and your family. This self-care guide has information on how to stay well during the flu season and suggestions for home treatment. This advice is good for both kinds of flu, but the Handbook does not have specific information about H1N1 flu. Call our Customer Service Department on business days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get your FREE copy of the Healthwise® Handbook.

If I get sick, should I see a doctor?

Most people will get well on their own, without the help of a medical professional. But you should get medical help if you have signs of serious illness.

If you or a family member get the symptoms of flu, you should stay home. Don’t go to work, to school, out shopping, or any place where other people gather. Get lots of rest, drink clear liquids and cover your cough.Stay home until 24 hours AFTER your fever is gone.

Caregiving at home:

• If the person with the flu has these health conditions: pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma or emphysema, check with their primary care provider (PCP) about any special care they may need.
• Make sure the sick person drinks plenty of liquids.
• Treat the person who has the flu with over-the-counter pain and fever relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but NEVER GIVE ASPIRIN TO CHILDREN OR TEENAGERS. This can cause a serious illness called Reye’s Syndrome.
• Don’t give children younger than 4 years old over-the-counter cold medications without first checking with their health care provider.
• Avoid being face-to-face with the sick person and try to provide good ventilation.
• Wash your hands after touching the sick person and keep surfaces clean.
• Keep the patient at home but away from others in the house as much as possible, as least until 24 hours after the fever is gone.

Get medical care for a child who:

• Has fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Has bluish or grayish skin tone
• Is not drinking enough fluids
• Has severe or persistent vomiting
• Is not waking up or interacting with you
• Is irritable and doesn’t want to be held
• Has flu-like symptoms that get better, but then return with a fever and worse cough
• Has fever with a rash

Get medical help for an adult who:

• Has difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Has pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Has sudden dizziness
• Is confused
• Has severe or persistent vomiting
• Has flu-like symptoms that improve, but then return with a fever and cough

What about antiviral drugs?

Influenza antiviral drugs are prescription drugs that decrease the ability of flu viruses to reproduce.

Most people recover from influenza with no complications without using antivirals. In fact, using them improperly can make things worse by helping the virus develop resistance to drugs. A vaccine is a much more effective first line of defense against influenza.

For those reasons, the U.S. Government this year has decided that antiviral drugs should be used only for (1) people who have gone to the hospital with influenza, (2) some who are at highest risk of influenza complications, and (3) that doctors should decide on a case-by-case basis, based on the patient's particular needs and other factors, which of these patients should get the drugs.

Note: To view .pdf documents, you must have Adobe Reader installed. Click here to download the free Adobe Reader program.