Utah Air Guard to receive H1N1 vaccines

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Lillian Chatwin
  • 151st ARW/PA
SALT LAKE CITY --  The Utah Air National Guard is scheduled to receive a shipment of the H1N1 "swine flu" vaccination this month. The vaccines will be available for all Air Guardsmen on the next drill weekend December 5-6. 

"We will be receiving enough vaccines for everyone on base, including full-time and traditional members," said Senior Master Sgt. Merlin Tomshack, senior health technician. 

The base is tracking the number of people in the UTANG who contract H1N1 and is reporting those numbers to the command post. 

"It is important, if you are a traditional Guardsman and you contract HINI, that you let your supervisor know so that we can accurately track those numbers," said Sergeant Tomshack. "So far, we've had about a dozen people on base miss work from H1N1, but they have all recovered, or are recovering." 

The base does not test for H1N1, but Sergeant Tomshack advised those displaying flu-like symptoms to seek medical attention, limit contact with others and do not come to work. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that those who are sick with the flu stay home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever. The highest risk of contagion is 24 hours prior to, and up to 48 hours after onset of flu symptoms.
Seasonal Flu and H1N1 are both type A viruses. Both virus strains display similar symptoms, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue or weakness, diarrhea and/or vomiting. 

Seasonal Flu and H1N1 are both type A viruses. Both virus strains display similar symptoms, including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue or weakness, diarrhea and/or vomiting. 

The main difference between the Seasonal Flu and H1N1 is who it affects. While the Seasonal Flu generally targets the elderly and sick, pregnant women and babies younger than six months are most at risk for H1N1. The next highest at risk group are those 6 months - 24 years of age. Those within the 25 - 64 year age group are considered less at risk, and those over 65 are considered very low risk. 

Capt. Douglas Pierson, the base Public Health Officer, suggested people use simple precautions to protect themselves from H1N1, like using a strong disinfectant to wipe down hard surfaces, washing your hands with soap every 2 hours, utilizing hand sanitizers, and coughing into your sleeve.