Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411150038
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: New York Daily News
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The new strain, type A Shangdong, is named for the Chinese province where it was detected. It is a variant of A Beijing, which caused most of the flu cases in the United States last year.
``We need to try to keep ahead of the virus,'' said Dr. Nancy Arden, the federal government's top flu monitor.
This year's vaccine protects against A Shangdong because that strain is expected to start hitting Americans, said Arden, chief of the influenza epidemiology section of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Millions of Americans have become immune to A Beijing flu, which was a target of the vaccine distributed last year, through immunization or infection.
``This is a year that is extremely difficult to predict,'' said Arden, who estimated that more than 20,000 Americans, predominantly the elderly and those in high-risk groups, died last year from flu and flu-related conditions.
William Fagel, a spokesman for the New York state Health Department, said the next few weeks are critical. ``We're seeing scattered cases out there,'' he said.
``It takes approximately two weeks for the vaccine to become effective, so it is advisable to get it sooner rather than later,'' said Steve Matthews, a spokesman for the New York City Health Department.
Those urged to get flu shots include:
Everyone 65 or older.
People with heart or lung problems, cancer, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, HIV infection or severe asthma.
Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
Children on long-term aspirin treatment - who must avoid the flu because it can cause Reye's syndrome, which can be fatal.
Flu, or influenza, is spread by virus-infected droplets coughed or sneezed into the air.
This year's vaccine also is designed to protect against type A Texas and type B Panama. In general, type A strains are more debilitating than type B strains.
by CNB