PORT ANGELES — Like a wave nearing the shore, swine flu activity will soon crest on the North Olympic Peninsula, the region’s top health official said, adding that about half of the grammar schools on the Peninsula are reporting at least 10 percent absenteeism.
Dr. Tom Locke, health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, also reported Thursday that the H1N1 vaccine is becoming more abundant in both counties.
Unlike elementary schools and middle schools, high schools do not have to report to the county public health office when they have one day of 10 percent absenteeism every week. Schools do not report actual numbers, only percentages.
Of the 18 elementary and middle schools in Clallam County, 40 percent reported at least one day of 10 percent-or-more absenteeism last week.
10 to 20 percent absent
Locke said schools in the high range are reporting from 10- to 20-percent absences. That’s up from 6 percent the week prior.
“Earlier this week, our schools were reporting absenteeism rates above 10 percent,” Sequim School District Superintendent Bill Bentley said. “One of our schools reported a rate of 13 percent. We understand those rates could escalate quickly.”
Quillayute Valley School District superintendent Diana Reaume said all three Forks schools have reported at least 10-percent absenteeism at various times over the past two weeks.
“We have not noticed an excessive amount of absenteeism due to flu symptoms,” said Tina Smith-O’Hara, Port Angeles School District spokeswoman.
Three of Jefferson County’s five elementary and middle schools reported more than 10 percent absenteeism last week.
None of those schools reported high absences the week prior, according to an influenza surveillance report for Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties provided by Locke.
“It was high last week but it’s tapered back down this week,” Chimacum School District superintendent Mike Blair said of the absence rate there.
“It was kind of a normal flu season last week. We’ll keep monitoring it and work with the health department.”
Port Townsend School District superintendent Tom Opstad could not be reached for comment.
Locke said this week’s data on school absences will be released today.
“I’m expecting it to be much of the same,” he said.
“We’re seeing a lot of outbreak in the community, including the schools. Now is the time to be very careful about infection control strategies.”
Swine flu started spreading in Eastern Washington a week or two before it spread into Western Washington.
H1N1, which is considered a non-severe pandemic flu, seems to be peaking east of the Cascade Mountains.
‘Near the peak’
“I think that we’re getting near that peak,” Locke said from his Port Townsend office on Thursday.
“But we’re still on an upward swing. The emergency rooms are getting a lot of people coming in with flu-like illness.
“We’re definitely in the midst of widespread influenza activity. All of it is testing out as being H1N1. We’re heading towards the peak of this activity.”
Health officials are walking a fine line between stressing vaccinations and stressing everyone out.
Even if you catch swine flu, the symptoms are usually the same as normal winter flu.
“Most healthy people will do just fine,” Locke said.
“The vast majority of people are having mild illness.”
Manufacturing delays have kept the H1N1 vaccine out of the hands of 95 percent of the U.S. population so far.
Doses of vaccine
Clallam County has received about 3,400 doses and is expected to get another 1,400 doses next week.
“The amounts are finally starting to go up,” Locke said.
“We’ve moved from hundreds of doses a week to getting an excess of a thousand. Hopefully the numbers will continue in that range.”
Jefferson County receives about 40 percent of Clallam County’s allotment because distribution is based on population.
Clallam County outnumbers Jefferson County 71,021 to 29,542, or 41.6 percent, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
Since the early doses of H1N1 vaccine are in limited supply, the federal government set up a priority list to distribute it to people who need it most. The priority groups include pregnant women, health care workers, kids and young adults and anyone with a chronic medical condition.
Pregnant women, who are considered to be the most susceptible group to dying of influenza, should contact their doctor about getting a dose of the vaccine.
“If they want the preservative-free vaccine, they may have to wait a few days,” Locke said, referring to the single-dose vaccine recently made available.
He tried to quell concerns about the multi-dose injectable vials that contain a preservative.
“We’ve been recommending that pregnant women take any vaccine that’s available,” he said.
Most older people, who are susceptible to the seasonal flu, have shown an immunity to the H1N1 strain.
In addition to staying home from work or school when you’re sick, health officials say covering coughs and washing hands frequently are effective ways to prevent the spread of influenza.
Later, perhaps two or three months from now, another wave of H1N1 is expected to return, Locke said.
This time, it will be accompanied with the regular seasonal flu.
Seasonal flu
“There seems to be supply issues there, too,” Locke said of the seasonal flu vaccine.
“It’s available in different places. Some of the pharmacists still have some.
“To my knowledge, most of the physicians’ offices are out of it. There are what you would call spot shortages. You really have to look around to find it.”
Separate vaccines are needed for H1N1 and seasonal flu.
“Part of the problem is the H1N1 vaccine is made in the same way,” Locke said.
“They’re competing against each other.”
The regular flu season usually picks up steam in January.
“We’re not seeing any of the seasonal flu in Washington state right now,” Locke said.
“It will probably be several months before that epidemic hits. That’s why we have the urgency with the H1N1 vaccine.”
Nationwide, more than 350 schools closed last week because of the swine flu, according to the U.S. Education Department. Those closures affected 126,000 students in 19 states.
No schools on the Peninsula have had to close. Just one school in the state — Paterson Elementary School in rural southeast Washington — is currently closed because of influenza, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.