Blog Posts tagged with "flu"

Hi everyone, I wanted to share some good news on the H1N1 front. For starters, your amazing efforts and that of each of our services medical, logistic and staff personnel working H1N1 issues has really paid off.

Influenza rates across EUCOM have dropped dramatically—to levels well below even previous year’s seasonal numbers. We have had no deaths from H1N1. This is no coincidence, this happened because everyone--Commanders, medical personnel and you--worked together to get the limited vaccine distributed and get people vaccinated as quickly as possible—for both seasonal and H1N1 flu. Additionally, awareness and response to basic measures such as hand washing, staying home when sick and covering coughs should not be underestimated and has also resulted in the significant theater-wide reductions in all respiratory conditions besides the flu.

Are we done with this yet? Should we declare victory over H1N1 and move on? Unfortunately not yet! The flu season normally runs until the end of March. Pandemics tend to come in waves, and it is not unusual to see a third wave come through and attack those not vaccinated.

Finally there is a chance the virus could mutate. However, the vaccine despite these mutations could still potentially provide some protection and prevent death; complacency is our biggest enemy in the battle against this disease.

We finally have received all of our vaccine here in EUCOM. There is more than enough vaccine now to provide the H1N1 vaccine for EVERYONE who desires it. So…If you have not been vaccinated yet, it is still important for you to GET VACCINATED! For children 9 years of age and under that second shot is also critical to developing sufficient immunity in this vulnerable group.

Again, I would like to highlight and give thanks to a great job on the outstanding effort by everyone to reduce the impact of H1N1 on the EUCOM mission and health of all of our family members. Stay well, get vaccinated and carry your hand sanitizer with you!

(Col Dave Schall is the European Command Surgeon. He has served in this capacity for over three years. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. He has a Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University. He is board certified in Aerospace/Preventive Medicine as well as Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. He completed a Fellowship in Otology/Neurotology Skull base surgery.)