San Juan County Health Officer, Frank James, MD, presented a cautiously optimistic view of the ability of the County health department to respond to the “swine flu” (Novel Influenza A H1N1) pandemic. Appearing before the County Board of Health in Friday Harbor on September 16, Dr. James cited a computer model of an influenza pandemic that predicts an influenza outbreak will cause 11 deaths here, but said that if the community takes the proper precautions, it may avoid such a tragic outcome.

At its September meeting, the Board of Health passed a resolution directing Dr. James to “exercise the full powers granted to him by the state legislature to control and prevent the spread of the H1N1 Influenza A virus in San Juan County.”

James said the most important steps are simple ones:

Cover your cough

Wash your hands

Stay home if you are sick.

Flu is spread from person to person so limiting participation in group activities is another strategy in slowing the pandemic. The swine flu virus is different from seasonal flu in that has attacked younger people and children more than people over 50 years old, James said, so it is especially important that sick children are kept home.

The San Juan County Health Department can provide advice on how to care for a sick child and when to seek medical care. Pregnant women are also at high risk and should consider extra precautions like limiting outings that expose them to large groups of people.

Because children are more likely to spread the flu, the Health Department is working with county schools to monitor student absenteeism. The department will attempt to contact the parents of all children that do not come to school due to flu-like illness, and provide them with information and advice.

According to San Juan County Health & Community Services Director John Manning, the county now has an adequate supply of anti-viral medications to treat people who do get sick. He said that shipments of a vaccine that will protect most people from the disease should be available for people in high risk groups by mid October and enough vaccine to provide to all who need it should arrive soon after.

Meanwhile, Dr. James emphasized that because the vaccine is not currently available, it is essential that residents of San Juan County take steps to delay the spread of influenza.

The web page will be linked on the county home page http://sanjuanco.com and also directly at http://sanjuanco.com/health/H1N1_2010.aspx.