Medical Experts Address H1N1 Concerns

An expert medical panel took live questions about H1N1 on MPB Thursday night.

There are already 12-hundred confirmed cases of H1N1, or swine flu, in Mississippi. As MPB's Carl Gibson reports, an expert medical panel Thursday night answered the state's questions on how to avoid infection.

According to Pediatrician Dr. Will Sorey, the danger of H1N1 is its unique mutation from the regular flu. He says this makes humans especially vulnerable.

"And when it passes through them, and there's two viruses, they can recombine as a completely new virus and people haven't seen it. Their immune system, their protection hasn't seen this before. And so, that's what makes it more dangerous because people have no protection."

There isn't yet a vaccine available for Mississippi's general public. However, State Epidemiologist Dr. Mary Currier says when it arrives, high-risk citizens must have first priority.

"Very soon we shold have it at our health departments, but we still want to concentrate on those very high-risk groups; the pregnant women, small children and people who take care of our youngest and most at risk- the kids under six months who are too young to be vaccinated."

Children are especially at risk due to their weak immune systems, according to UMC professor Dr. Rick Findley. He says those with lung conditions should be especially watchful.

"If you have a child with chronic illness, specifically asthma, any chronic lung diease, influenza has a straight shot at the heart of you there because it gets in, it does more damage. And flu won't actually kill you, but pneumonia sure will."

To avoid infection, Findley says keeping all vaccinations up to date is the best way to stay healthy.

"My greatest fear, personally, is to have a child come into my office with meningitis that looks like ten other kids with the flu. So your vaccines that you get; your homphilis, the H-flu vaccine, still real important. Those old stand-by diseases are still standing by to whack us."

to learn more about H1N1, the state health department suggests logging on to flu.gov for detailed safety tips.