Researchers at Emory and nationwide will conduct H1N1 research
Photo credit: www.newsday.com
Amanda Serfozo
Top News Examiner
The “swine flu” headlines of months past might be old news for national publications, and while the late-night jokes may be dormant, the H1N1 virus is still a cause for major concern for area residents.
The H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as the “swine flu” by the media and general public, saturated the airwaves in early April 2009, when pigs in Mexico were first identified by the World Health Organization as carrying a strain of the influenza-A virus. By June 2009, the WHO had upgraded the outbreak’s status, and declared the swine flu a “pandemic” on a scale of six – the highest number to describe the virus on a worldwide level.
Many doctors and medical professionals believe the H1N1 virus to be linked to a cyclical pattern. In 1918, a similar pandemic occurred, leaving 100 million people dead around the globe. Ever since, outbreaks have occurred in 1976, 1988, and 1998, leaving researches to believe that the virus becomes aggravated after a period of ten or so years, after a period of dormancy and sudden activity. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the virus becomes deadlier with each cycle, and if the swine flu is in fact linked to the avian flu, or “bird flu” that had affected millions globally in the late 1990s.
The H1N1 strain of influenza is identical to that of the normal virus that strikes humans every winter, with all the typical symptoms – fever, chills, a sore throat, weakness, and a persistent cough.
Atlanta, and Georgia as a whole, saw its first swine flu case in late April 2009, when a woman visiting the area from Kentucky was hospitalized near LaGrange. Since then, 40,617 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as of mid-July, and more than a million Americans have felt symptoms of some kind.
After the initial case was reported in Atlanta, the city felt shockwaves of fear as the national news spotlighted the H1N1 outbreak, even going so far as to discuss a “doomsday scenario” where 90 million Americans would be infected and people would be quarantined inside their homes.
In addition to this worst-case discussion, the Public Health Service Act as well as the Stafford Act, in partnership with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the President, reminded the public that it would permit the closure of all borderlines to or from Mexico and Canada.
Under the Public Health Service Act, the federal government has rights to limit interstate travel, international entrance, and to deny aliens with the H1N1 virus entry into the country. United States citizens can’t be denied entry, but may be forced to quarantine instead. There are still civil rights questions involved here that make the situation tricky – which rights to privacy, equal protection, and due process should one infected person give up to save the majority population?
Although fears have mostly been assuaged, Emory University located in Atlanta is working diligently to prevent this type of panic and doomsday thinking. The institution announced late last week that it would begin conducting a new set of H1N1 studies, specifically analyzing the vaccine that would combat the virus’ potential spread.
The vaccine is slated for release worldwide this October, coinciding with the autumn and winter months, when some experts believe the strain could contaminate more public places when people are in close contact. Places like schools, hospitals, public transportation, places of worship, and hospitals typically see a rise in person-to-person interaction once the summer months are over and Americans rejoin their normal routines, most of which take place indoors around others who might be spreading the H1N1 virus.
Emory University said in a statement that it is actively searching for volunteers to receive injections of the H1N1 vaccine, which has already been developed. There is little worry among the medical community that there would be any adverse side effects to volunteers. Instead, researchers at Emory are trying to decipher whether or not participants should receive just one round of shots, or more.
The university is trying to attract healthy Atlantans in particular, including men, women and children, who will receive compensation for several complete visits.
On a national scale, the National Institute of Health and it’s subsidiary, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, hopes to engage over 1,000 volunteers at 10 testing centers, including Emory, across the country. The other sites include the Seattle Group Health Cooperative, Children's Mercy Hospital, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Maryland Medical Center’s Baylor College of Medicine, Saint Louis University, the University of Iowa, Vanderbilt University, and Duke University Medical Center.
“Children and young adults are considered among the most vulnerable populations for new and emerging strains of influenza, such as the current H1N1 pandemic," said Harry Keyserling, M.D., one of the leaders of the clinical trials, in a statement released by Emory University.
Pregnant women in particular are attractive candidates for the vaccination testing, as 15 of the 266 swine flu related deaths were women carrying children, according to the CDC. The Los Angeles Times reports that only about 15% of pregnant women actually receive flu vaccinations, however, it is pregnant women who should be the first in line to get them. Developments and changes in the healthy respiratory system, as well as the immune system, contribute to the potential risks.
According to CNN, volunteers who agree to the injections will be introduced to the vaccine and then asked to “keep a diary on how they feel.” Once a week passes, they will receive a series of blood tests, and after three weeks, the volunteer will be injected with another dose, followed by another diary and round of blood screenings.
The participants will receive two months’ worth of checkups, for safety and overall health. Later, they will receive a four-month and six-month exam.
However, the feedback for a vaccine that could prevent flulike symptoms in the mass citizenry is not all positive. Some local Atlanta residents are expressing grave concern with the potential repercussions, citing matters of legal importance and health risks.
“Keep in mind that the vaccine company is exempt from being sued should this particular vaccine cause side effects once it hits public market,” one respondent warned. “This vaccine is being rushed to market, [and] it will have more deaths and side effects than regular vaccines.”
On Wednesday, July 29, the CDC will meet as an advisory committee at its Atlanta headquarters to discuss immunization practices, which types of patients should receive the shots first, and the pros and cons of mass injections in relation to the H1N1 virus.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating, call 877-424-HOPE (4673) for the adult and senior studies, or 404-727-4044 for the pediatric studies. You can also e-mail vaccine@emory.edu for more info.
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