Second wave of swine flu passes

State and local health experts believe the second wave of the H1N1 flu virus has passed, but warned against people thinking they shouldn't get vaccinated or take other protections.

So far, three people in the Mid-Valley region have died of complications related to the virus, which is also known as swine flu. All three were in Yuba County, while both Sutter and Colusa counties have had a handful of hospitalizations from H1N1 but no deaths so far.

Ken August, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health, said reports of new infections continued to decline in the last few weeks, but it's too soon to say whether the virus' peak is truly past or if another wave could hit.

"Influenza is very unpredictable," August said, pointing out how flu viruses typically peak during the winter, but H1N1 seemed to spread most quickly last spring and summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

In Sutter and Yuba counties, health officials said they'll continue to offer free H1N1 flu clinics through the rest of the month, but they've noticed declining interest from residents.

"We're still working to increase the number of people vaccinated overall in our county," said Michele Blake, a public health program coordinator with Sutter County. She said the county still has ample supply of the vaccination, though she couldn't provide a specific number.

In Yuba County, health officer Joe Cassady said he believes the virus has passed its prime.

"It did not mutate, and I don't think it had a mortality as high as some feared," Cassady said. "It appears to have been more like a regular flu season."

He said the county has about 1,400 doses of H1N1 vaccine remaining out of an initial allotment of 1,700.

But August said federal and state officials are still monitoring the disease, and said people shouldn't assume they can skip getting a vaccine if they haven't already.

Part of the reason for continued concern, August said, is H1N1's tendency to strike young children, pregnant women and people under the age of 50 hardest. Those three groups aren't usually hit as hard by seasonal flu.

"We know most people, when they think of getting vaccinated, they do it in fall or early winter," August said.

Such thinking might be incorporated into discussions now starting about the vaccine for next winter's traditional seasonal flu, August said, by making it at least partially effective against H1N1 as well.

Blake and Cassady both said they'll also keep monitoring locally for hospitalizations related to the virus.

Family members identified two of Yuba County's deaths as a result of H1N1 flu: Isela J. Morales of Olivehurst, who died last October, and Johnny Duerksen of Linda, who also died that month.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com