Flu Resources

Announcements

Expired Flu Treatments – The CDC has advised the Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator to retain all expired flu treatments. If there is a renewed H1N1 threat, the CDC assumes that the FDA will provide a new emergency use agreement (EUA). If you have any questions on this matter, please contact Alan Boudreau of the DPH at alan.boudreau@ct.gov.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Connecticut Department of Public Health

DPH stays up to date with Connecticut’s influenza information here. There are numerous resources there for your disposal.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

You can always see what’s new and changing on the Center for Disease Control’s Influenza Website at this page.
Check out the CDC’s local, state, and international flu surveillance pages: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/fluactivitysurv.htm
Take a look at the CDC’s interactive Fluview Map: Click here
There are free CDC resources available: www.cdc.gov/flu/freeresources
Feel free to register for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/acip/default.htm
Trainings:
- The CDC offers an activity that includes a roundtable discussion with three vaccine safety prevention experts and is intended for clinicians who routinely administer influenza vaccines and who evaluate and treat patients experiencing adverse events following influenza immunization, including family medicine and internal medicine physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians/gynecologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses. The course can be found at http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/732969.
- To preview the popular CDC Expert Commentary Series on Medscape, please visit http://www.medscape.com/partners/cdc/public/cdc-commentary.

Flu Near You

Go to FluNearYou.org and register to submit a weekly update on how you are feeling.

Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)

See what is new with IAC at www.immunize.org.
They have a great collection of clinic resources, including screening questionnaires, supply checklists, and tons of handouts at http://www.immunize.org/handouts/.

National Influenza Vaccine Summit

To assist providers in finding flu vaccine available for purchase, the National Influenza Vaccine Summit supports the Influenza Vaccine Availability Tracking System (IVATS), which provides information about vaccine manufacturers and distributors with vaccine available for purchase. IVATS can be found at http://www.preventinfluenza.org/ivats/. The information in IVATS is updated throughout the influenza vaccination season.