Swiping swine's swagger

Move over, swine.

You're just another flu now.

Last year at this time, swine flu (H1N1) captured headlines, caused some school absentee rates to soar to 20-plus percent and spread a fear of the unknown. The vaccine couldn't arrive fast enough.

What a difference a year makes.

Area school districts are reporting normal attendance and there's no squealing over swine in the community.

Granted, it's still early for flu season, but swine had made its mark by September a year ago.

Why the difference?

"The biggest difference is that the H1N1 virus has adapted," said Cynthia Taggart, Panhandle Health District spokeswoman. "It 'fits in' now with the flu virus gang and is likely to follow the same schedule. So far, it's not following last year's behavior anywhere."

Taggart said H1N1 was a new virus last year and we had no immunity to it because our bodies had never come in contact with it.

"Health experts didn't know H1N1's potential and planned for the worst," she said. "This year, we're dealing with a known virus. The world was exposed to it last year so we enter this year with a degree of immunity."

Also clearing the air is that there is just one seasonal flu shot this year with vaccine against H1N1 and two other flu viruses that are expected to circulate.

The health district has no plans to vaccinate in schools as it did last year.

"Parents need to bring their kids in and get their flu shots as a family, either here or at any of the stores that are providing flu shots," Taggart said.

Since there was no immunity last year, H1N1 spread quickly and easily, causing the pandemic designation. It spread out of season because people traveled with it from Mexico and the public had no prior exposure to it.

"What's helping this year is last year's exposure to the virus," Taggart said. "Our immune systems recognize the virus this year and that helps."

H1N1 was included in this year's vaccine as a precaution and because it was still circulating when this year's vaccine was designed in the spring. While H1N1 may be dormant now, health experts won't know until later if it perks up, Taggart said.

The health industry learned that vaccine was effective against H1N1, but that doesn't mean we won't get it again this year.

"It means it won't spread as quickly and easily and apparently has adapted to the typical flu season patterns," Taggart said.

The health district started its annual flu surveillance program this week to monitor the region's flu patterns. While the first results won't be available until next week, health and school officials say flu of any type hasn't been a problem so far.

"We have not seen anything unusual so far," said Tom Taggart of the Lakeland School District. "One positive result from last year's experience is that the staff, student body and parents are more educated about good health habits. That should help when flu season arrives."

Precautions against any flu includes washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, disposing of tissues in covered trash cans, staying at least 3 feet from those who are ill, getting vaccinated and staying home when sick.