Howard County General Hospital saw and treated more than 1,000 individuals with flu virus infection during the 2009-10 flu season – most of which were the H1N1 strain. While our community had a significant number of cases of serious flu-related illnesses, thankfully, the world-wide pandemic was not as devastating as originally predicted.

With the 2010-11 flu season just around the corner, however, HCGH and other health organizations are taking steps to be better prepared and armed with what we learned from last year’s experience. At recent Employee Vaccine Clinics, nearly 60 percent of our employees were vaccinated. Healthcare workers are encouraged to get the vaccine to prevent the flu in themselves, their patients and their families.

In his September letter to Howard County residents, Howard County Health Officer Dr. Peter L. Beilenson stressed the importance of the county’s vaccination effort to assure convenient access to seasonal flu vaccine for all residents. “There is plenty of vaccine available this year and it is an easy way to protect yourself and your family from the flu” he said. The County will continue to use online scheduling for this year’s flu vaccine clinics at www.hchealth.org or call the county flu line at 410.313.6250 for the most up-to-date information on Health Department clinics, vaccine availability at other walk-in clinics and locations, and to schedule a vaccination appointment. FluMist® will be offered in all elementary schools in the Howard County Public School System this year, at no cost to eligible students. All types of flu vaccine will be available at the 50+ Expo scheduled for Friday, October 15, at Wilde Lake High School.

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, other ways to stay healthy during flu season include:

• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm (elbow)
• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer
• If you are sick, stay home.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes the following for the 2010-211 flu season:

• This year’s flu vaccine includes protection against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus and two other flu viruses.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the vaccine is available.
• People at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years of age and older.

Visit the CDC’s special flu website, www.Flu.gov for the latest news on the flu and an FAQ section that will answer many concerns.

Back to school means a lot of things: new clothes, new books, new friends and organized school sports. While sports play an important role in childhood fitness programs, there is rising concern over the increased number of head injuries among school-aged children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the journal, Pediatrics, have both reported on the seriousness of this situation. The number of emergency room visits by children ages 8 to 13 has doubled from 1997 to 2007 and, during the same period, concussions in kids ages 14 to 19 increased by a staggering 200 percent.  Studies indicate that this increase is mostly due to the larger number of children playing on organized sports teams, especially traveling teams across the country.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association reports that the annual number of mild head injuries, mostly concussions, among high-school varsity athletes is close to 63,000, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a total of as many as 3.8 million sport-related concussions each year. Football accounts for the highest number of brain injuries for boys, while the leading cause for girls is soccer.

David Monroe, M.D.

Dr. David Monroe, a pediatrician at Howard County General Hospital commented, “Our Pediatric Emergency Department has seen an increasing number of student athletes with concussions. They may not all require a CT scan, but they all need time off from sports to allow their head injuries to heal.” He also advises parents or coaches to bring athletes to the emergency room after a head injury if there is loss of consciousness, severe headache, a change in behavior, difficulty staying awake, or vomiting.

HCGH is one of 25 hospitals across the country that participates in The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN). The organization recently established recommendations for when children and athletes need a CT after a head injury.

Remember . . . wearing a helmet or other headgear can help prevent concussions.