Swine flu cases drop on college campuses for first time

For the first time this academic year, college campuses have reported a significant drop in cases of influenza-like illness, generally assumed to be pandemic H1N1 influenza, according to the American College Health Assn. Unfortunately, the association also recorded the first two deaths from the pandemic among college students at participating campuses.

There were 6,373 cases of illness reported on the campuses enrolling more than 3 million students in the week ending Nov. 13, a 27% drop from the week before, and 12 hospitalizations. Only 95% of the campuses reported cases, down from 98% the prior week. All but five states reported significant declines in disease activity during the week. The five states and regions with increases were New Jersey, Louisiana, Missouri, Idaho and the District of Columbia. South Dakota and Utah reported a 100% drop, with no new cases during the week.

Only limited data have been collected yet about the availability of the swine flu vaccine on campuses, but the figures show that only about 3% of students have been vaccinated to date.

In other swine flu news:

-- Canada has reported a spike in swine flu-related deaths, with more people dying of the virus during the week ending Nov. 17 than in any other week this year. Thirty-seven people died during the week, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed deaths in the country to 198, out of a population of 34 million. About 10% of the population has so far received the swine flu vaccine, according to health authorities.

-- The California Department of Public Health said today that 5.19 million doses of swine flu vaccine had been distributed within the state, enough for about 13.4% of the population. All counties have received at least some doses. A chart at the agency's website compares the doses filled to population.

— Thomas H. Maugh II

Comments

[Grant]

Here at UC Riverside, the campus health clinic has been doing weekly vaccination drives for both the regular H1N1 Seasonal Flu and and the H1N1 Swine flu since the vaccinations have been available. In addition to the drives, I believe that you can walk in to the clinic and get vaccinated as well. All of this has been free of charge for the students. I'm not sure how many people have been vaccinated, or the percentage, but they seem to have given out a great number of vaccinations and there doesn't seem to be anything going around besides a 3 day head cold.

[dan feinstein]

With reports about "influenza-like illness" and unscientific attitudes as in, "generally assumed to be" and so forth... Is there swine flu, how much of the flu-like viruses are actually swine flu and most of all, for all the spectacular claims that we've been hearing, does it matter? Where the hell is the science? Reports coming from many doctors' groups seem to infer that all flu-like cases have been lumped together by the CDC to create a marketing campaign for a vaccine that's specific to a single H1N1, when there isn't any scientific method being used to define a difference between what may be hundreds of different viruses. To add to that, no one can produce even one study to confirm that the swine flu vaccine is even effective. In fact, there are scientists who were associated with the development of flu vaccine who say that it's more effective and probably safer to suffer getting a flu virus, than taking the vaccine. Before you take a shot, ask the doctor giving it, whether he can personally guarantee that the science has been adhered to and that your safety and the safety of your family is secured by taking the vaccine. My doctor refused to go there.