November 5, 2009 – The first known case of H1N1 (swine flu) in a cat has been diagnosed in an Iowa housecat, the New York Times reports (http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/the-cat-who-got-swine-flu/ ) Since the cat never goes outdoors and other family members had flu-like symptoms previously, it is believed likely that the virus was transmitted from human to cat. Family members are undergoing tests to confirm if they had swine flu.

Pregnant women, children, healthcare workers and infants’ caregivers urged to get vaccinated
October 24, 2009 (San Diego) - A new shipment of 102,000 doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine arrived in San Diego on Friday. Seven public health clinics will be open extended hours over the weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to vaccinate high-risk individuals. The shipment includes both nasal spray and injectible forms of the vaccine. To learn location of clinics, visit www.sdiz.org or call 211. If enough vaccine is left after the weekend, vaccinations will also be offered weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Doses will also be distributed to hospitals for vaccination of healthcare workers and hospitalized patients.
 
“We know that it has reached pandemic proportions,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, said of the H1N1 flu virus which has killed 25 San Diegans , hospitalized at least 348 individuals, and spread to at least 29 area schools. The vaccines will be provided to highest-risk groups including pregnant women, children from preschool through middle school, healthcare workers/emergency responders, and people with infants under six months in their homes, since young babies cannot receive the vaccine.
 

October 22, 2009 (San Diego) – “I’m worried,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob told East County Magazine when asked about H1N1 (swine flu) vaccinations. “These should have been here yesterday.”
 
Jacob expressed concern over the fact that San Diego has only received 28,000 doses of the vaccine, yet the County has 12 million people. She added that she is now receiving hourly updates on the situation.

October 6, 2009 (San Diego) -- The first allotment of H1N1 flu vaccine has arrived in San Diego County and will be administered starting today. (View video) According to state guidelines, the initial doses of H1N1 nasal spray vaccine are designated for children 2-18 years of age who are healthy and healthy household contacts of infants younger than 6 months.

26,000 doses of nasal spray vaccine will be available at various primary care physicians’ offices throughout the county. An additional 2,000 doses are being offered at County public health centers. (See locations at the end of this article).

July 30, 2009 (San Diego) – Four women, all with underlying health conditions, have died from the panedemic H1N1 influenza virus (formerly called swine flu), the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency reported yesterday.  To date, San Diego County has had 735 confirmed cases, including 12 deaths.

 
July 11, 2009 (San Diego) On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, two inmates housed in the South Bay Detention Facility began to exhibit flu-like symptoms. Initial testing indicated it was the Influenza-A strain of the virus. The inmates were immediately placed in isolation cells and additional testing was ordered. On July 10th, samples from the inmates were tested at the Public Health Laboratory in San Diego. It was subsequently determined one inmate has contracted the H1N1 virus. Both are receiving treatment by medical personnel.

May 3, 2009 (San Diego)—Health authorities have traced origins of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak to a 10-year old son of a military family in San Diego, UPI reports today. The Centers for Disease Control conducted tests on samples from the boy, revealing the never-before-seen strain of flu virus on April 15, though his brother had symptoms two weeks earlier. Today, the County Health & Human Services Agency confirms four new cases of the flu, bringing the total of cases locally to 15, with several more suspected. The four new cases are a 3-year-old female, a 17-year-old male, a 35-year-old female and a 33-year-old male. The latter two are cases previously confirmed by the military.

May 1, 2009 (Washington D.C.)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The agencies are also advising operators of offending web sites that they must take prompt action to correct and/or remove promotions of these fraudulent products or face enforcement action.
 

April 29, 2009 (San Diego)—San Diego and Iimperial Counties both declared local health emergencies today. The declarations are routine steps in preparations for addressing an outbreak of swine flu. There are eight confirmed cases in San Diego County and 5 confirmed cases in Imperial County. The three newest cases in San Diego County include a three-year-old boy and his father, as well as a 23-year-old man. An additional seven cases of suspected swine flu are currently being tested, East County Magazine has learned.
 

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARES PHASE 5 EPIDEMIC

April 29, 2009 (San Diego)—Eight cases of people infected with swine influenza have been confirmed in San Diego County, confirms Tom Christensen, Health & Human Services media spokesman. Details on new cases will be released later today. Several other local cases are suspected, including an SDSU student. President Barack Obama today said that schools with an infected student should close down, raising the possibility that SDSU could shut down shortly before final exams scheduled May 4-8.

HUNTER SEEKS CLOSURE OF BORDER

UPDATED April 29, 2009 (San Diego)—Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in California to request federal funds for emergency services and supplies to combat the disease. To date, 91 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., including 11 in California and five in San Diego County. The first U.S. death, a boy who traveled to Texas from Mexico, was confirmed today and tests are being done on a Los Angeles man who died following symptoms of swine flu. (Tests on a second L.A.man proved negative.) The outbreak has spread to Europe, Asia, the middle East and Canada. In Mexico, over 149 deaths have occurred and nearly 2,000 cases reported, prompting the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to issue a travel advisory asking travelers to avoid nonessential trips to Mexico.

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – At least 50 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the U.S. with confirmed cases in many other countries today, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise its pandemic alert level to Phase 4 for the first time ever. Locally, Christian Cornerstone Academy in Mira Mesa has closed after six teachers fell ill following exposure to a student with swine flu.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that those who are sick should stay home from work or school to avoid infecting others. But analyses of Bureau of Labor Statistics and other data conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) reveal that less than half of workers have paid sick days, and only one-third can use sick days to care for sick children. Workers who lack paid sick time are more likely to go to work with a communicable illness, and parents who cannot stay home with a sick child are more likely to send sick children to school or day care.

April 26, 2009 (Washington D.C.)—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public emergency today in the United States due to the outbreak of a new strain of swine flu in five states (California, Ohio, New York, Kansas and Texas).
“We have implemented passive surveillance protocols to screen individuals who may arrive at our borders,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a press conference today. Travelers entering the U.S. from areas with swine flu, including Mexico, will be asked about their health and will be isolated if ill. In addition to screening travelers at borders, security personnel at airports will also be screening passengers.