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N1H1 Flu Update from CDC

Updated Guidance for Child Care and Early Childhood Programs

CDC has released new guidance to help decrease the spread of influenza (flu) among children in early childhood programs and early childhood providers during the 2009–2010 influenza season. The new guidance expands upon earlier guidance documents by providing a menu of tools that health officials and early childhood providers can choose from based on conditions in their area. The new guidance recommends actions to take now, during the 2009–2010 flu season; suggests additional strategies to consider if CDC determines that flu is becoming more severe; and provides a checklist for decision-making at the local level. Based on the severity of 2009 H1N1 flu-related illness thus far, this guidance recommends that children and early childhood providers with influenza-like illness remain home until 24 hours after resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

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Key Flu Indicators

Each week CDC analyzes information about influenza disease activity in the United States and publishes findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. During the week of August 23-29, 2009, a review of these key indicators found that influenza activity increased in the United States. Below is a summary of the most recent key indicators:

• Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) were highest in February during the 2008-09 flu season, but rose again in April 2009 after the new 2009 H1N1 virus emerged. Current visits to doctors for influenza-like illness are down from April, but are higher than what is expected in the summer and have increased over the last two weeks.

• Total influenza hospitalizationrates for adults and children are similar to or lower than seasonal influenza hospitalization rates depending on age group, but are higher than expected during this time of year.

• The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was low and within the bounds of what is expected in the summer..

• Most state health officials are reporting regional or sporadic influenza activity. Six states (Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina) and Puerto Rico are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. Any reports of widespread influenza activity in August are very unusual.

• Almost all of the influenza viruses identified were the new 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These 2009 H1N1 viruses remain similar to the viruses chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine and remain susceptible to antiviral drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir) with rare exception.

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