State health officials say the H1N1 version of the flu is on the wane in North Carolina.
They say that’s been the trend for the last six to eight weeks.
But even so, manufacturing facilities continue to pump out H1N1 vaccine at high rates because though the virus is infecting fewer people right now, it's not out of our lives just yet.
“We have every expectation that we will get another wave of H1N1, but we don't know when or how severe it will be,” said Dr. Zack Moore, a respiratory disease epidemiologist with the North Carolina Department of Public Health.
Last week officials revealed three patients at Duke who had compromised immune systems had died of a strain of H1N1 that was resistant to the drug Tamiflu.
“What happened at Duke is a little unusual,” contends federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Speaking Tuesday in Holly Springs, Sebelius revealed that unusual occurrence piqued the interest of federal health officials.
“Our centers for disease control scientists are working very closely with the Duke folks,” Sebelius said. “So far, we've found that Tamiflu resistant flu is able to be treated with Relenza, the other anti-viral medicine.”
But that doesn't mean doctors should stop writing Tamiflu prescriptions.
“Tamiflu resistance is still very rare and we have no indication Tamiflu resistance has spread out in the community,” Moore said.
Since H1N1 has been discovered, scientists have worried it might mutate into something more virulent.
So far, that hasn't happened.
“This virus has been very stable which means it's still the same virus that's covered by the vaccine,” Moore explained.


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