[All_jlab_accounts] Seasonal Influenza Prevention Update - from JLab's Occ. Med. Director

[deborah magaldi]

/The purpose of this communication from Dr. Chandler, Jefferson Lab's 
Occupational Medicine director, is to provide updated information about 
the lab's seasonal influenza prevention program./

*Current Epidemic.*
This year's epidemic is from a typical seasonal flu strain. It is not a 
"novel strain" such as those that have stimulated increased attention in 
the past.

Your best protection is vaccine (available at the Occupational Medicine 
department), washing your hands, and using hand sanitizer. (Sanitizing 
hand wipes may be picked up from Free Stock for use by staff and users 
to disinfect hands and common-use workplace surfaces, such as phones and 
keyboards. A new order of liquid hand sanitizer is being made; the lab 
community will be notified when the order arrives.

This year's epidemic is occurring earlier in the season than is typical. 
Most years, cases are more sporadic (as opposed to epidemic) until 
February or so. It's impossible to predict the ultimate intensity and 
duration this year's epidemic will have. A mild flu year might kill 20K 
in the U.S. and a severe epidemic might cause 70K U.S. deaths. If one 
extrapolates this year's experience thus far into the remainder of the 
flu season, then this could turn out to be one of the 70K-ish years. 
However, such extrapolation isn't valid, and should be left to vaccine 
manufacturers and analogous stakeholders.

*Prevention of Disease by Vaccination.*
*    Coverage: There are many strains of flu. Each year the vaccine is 
formulated against the strains that are predicted to be most prevalent 
in the upcoming year. This is educated guess work. This year the match 
is good.

*    Vaccine failure: Even with a correct strain-vaccine match, the 
vaccine does not prevent 100 percent of cases (85 percent is a good 
effectiveness estimate). If a person receives the vaccine and then 
becomes ill from a strain in the vaccine, then the illness is usually 
milder than it would have been without vaccination.

*    Availability: There is no vaccine shortage this year. JLab 
Occupational Medicine has an adequate supply. We began offering vaccine 
in September and have thus far given 247 doses. If you would like to be 
vaccinated, please call Occupational Medicine at ext. 7539. Appointments 
are required, but are often available on short notice.

*    Timing: After a person receives the flu vaccine, it might take two 
or more weeks for full protection to develop. Partial protection begins 
to occur sooner.  Therefore, within a given flu epidemic, it's never too 
late to be vaccinated. If you haven't been vaccinated yet, and have now 
reconsidered, please proceed even though the epidemic is already in full 
swing.

*    Safety: Seasonal flu vaccine is extremely safe in absolute terms. 
Better still, the risk/benefit is highly favorable. The primary reasons 
to avoid flu vaccine would be significant egg allergy and/or a 
significant adverse response to flu vaccine in the past.

*Prevention of Contagion via Fomites. *
Seasonal flu virus lives approximately 8 hours on fomites (inanimate 
objects such as desks) and can be transmitted via that route.

In order to minimize fomite transmission:
*    Wash your hands as frequently as you can, using proper technique. 
Proper technique involves wetting the hands thoroughly, then using 
sufficient soap and friction to create sudsing on all surfaces for 20-30 
seconds, then thorough rinsing of all surfaces. Such technique is rarely 
followed.

For flu prevention, antibacterial soaps offer no advantage over other 
soaps. One reason is that flu is caused by a virus, not a bacteria. 
(Antiviral soaps are specialty items that have several downsides.)

*    Use ethanol based hand sanitizers frequently. Properly used, these 
kill all bacteria and viruses on contact. Proper use of hand sanitizers 
involves use of a quantity sufficient to create a liquid film on all 
surfaces, then allowing the film to air dry. Nooks and crannies under 
and around nails are easy to miss.

*    Train yourself to avoid touching your face.

*Prevention of Contagion via Droplets.*
Droplets are generated by coughing and sneezing. The person who is 
coughing or sneezing should prevent droplet and fomite transmission by 
following "cough and sneeze etiquette":
1.    Walk away from others.
2.    Turn away from others.
3.    Cough or sneeze into something that will capture droplets. 
Examples include tissues and one's own clothing, especially at the 
elbow, or into the armpit of a jacket.
4.    Stay home when you are ill.

*Prevention of Contagion via Aerosols.*
While there are arguments about the role of aerosols, the vaccine works 
no matter what the mode of transmission is.


/This message is being sent on behalf of Jefferson Lab management and 
the ESH&Q Division./

---
Thank you for your attention to this important health matter.
Best regards,
Deb Magaldi
Jefferson Lab
Public Affairs
ph. 269-5102


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