County's campaign against H1N1 flu is gearing down

Winneshiek ounty Public Health Department officials aren't ready to totally relax yet, but they say their campaign against the H1N1 flu is slowing down.

The county health department gave 7,585 vaccinations during the flu season. County Health Nurse Krista Vanden Brink says she was "immensely pleased with the turnout." The health department still has H1N1 vaccine available, but the demand for it has slowed.

The County Health Department's Nancy Sacquitne says H1N1 cases could spike again after college students go overseas during spring break. H1N1 rates are higher in South America and other continents.

Sacquitne says the health department has learned lessons as it progressed during flu season. "We got smarter as we did it," she says. That will help for next fall's flu season. It will also help that the 2010 seasonal flu vaccine will include an H1N1 flu vaccine--which means one vaccination will take care of multiple strains of flu.

When vaccinations done by Gundersen Clinic, Mayo Health System, Family Care Center and Luther College are added to the totals done by the Winneshiek county Public Health Department, nearly 9,000 Winneshiek County residents received vaccinations against the H1N1 flu this season.