On Tuesday, the Tioga County Health Department held a special information meeting at the Hubbard Auditorium in Owego. The HN1 flu is all I hear folks talking about these days, so I was surprised to only have about a dozen attend the meeting.

Hanz Peeters, Tioga County public health director, and several of his staff were on hand to answer questions and present a slide show to educate us more on H1N1.

I think my first surprise was the map showing in red outbreaks of this flu. All of North America was red, even up into Greenland, and about one-third of South America. The first case was detected in the U.S. in April. May is when companies started the process to produce the vaccine -- a vaccine that takes nine months to process -- and authorities were expecting the flu to die down over the summer months, but it did not.

Today it is a Food and Drug Administration-licensed vaccine, and as of Nov. 1, 30 million doses are ready with 16 million already shipped. About 560,000 were shipped to upstate New York through the first of October to help vaccine the first targeted group. To date about 24,901 have been vaccinated in Tioga County, about half the population.

The groups getting vaccine first are the higher-risk groups like pregnant women, caregivers to children 6 months old or younger, health care and EMS workers, then on to 6-month-old to 24 years old, and 25- to 64-year olds with health concerns.

H1N1 is different than the seasonal flu. In the past the elderly have been hit hardest, but authorities believe the elderly who have gone through past flus may have some immunities to this one. This flu seems to be hitting children, so the Tioga County Health Department will soon be holding flu clinics at the schools, although they still recommend you get the vaccine from your own primary care provider.

There should be no charge on the vaccine, not even a co-pay, as ordered by Gov. Patterson. If you show any signs of sickness, authorities recommend you stay home in an attempt to keep the spread of the flu down.

In the last two weeks, absenteeism at the schools in Tioga County has increased by 10 percent. It is hard to say how many cases there are of the actual flu and how many are parents keeping their kids home to try and keep them healthy.

Symptoms to watch for may include a fever greater than 100, body aches, headache, cough, feeling very cold or having shaking chills, sore throat, and fatigue. If you have any of these symptoms stay home, drink lots of fluids, take fever medication, and rest.

If symptoms worsen or come with bluish skin color, confusion, dizziness, dark urine, trouble breathing, or fever for more than three days, call your doctor or your county health department.

Since even the seasonal flu vaccine has been in limited supply, a previous flu clinic in Candor had to be cancelled, but another is planned for 2:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Candor Fire Hall. This adult flu clinic is for the seasonal flu vaccine, not for the H1N1.

Happenings

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive from 1 to 6 p.m. today at the Candor Fire Station.

Friday Night Feast from 6-9 p.m. today is pizza at the Candor American Legion.

The Candor Fire Company Auxiliary is holding an all-you-can-eat chicken and biscuit dinner at the Candor Fire Station from 1-6:30 p.m. Saturday. The Candor TOPS group will hold a Chinese Auction.