FRANKLIN COUNTY –- MSAD #58 school nurses have now completed the school vaccine clinics for the H1N1 (swine flu) and seasonal flu with a high percentage of student participation. The clinics were completed before the Christmas break.

According to a recent school board report, there are no lab-confirmed K-12 cases of H1N1 in district schools to date.

With the recent receipt of large quantities of H1N1 vaccine, local clinics have started in hospitals, health care centers and other public places for most everyone who wants to be immunized for H1N1.

“Data indicate that H1N1 flu has been relatively mild in Maine compared with other states, and continues to decline. Hospitalizations due to H1N1 declined this past week from 50 a month ago to 11, and only one school reported an outbreak,” said Dr. Dora Mills of the Maine Center for Disease Control in a release.

Since August, 17 Mainers have died and all have had serious underlying health conditions. Mills said the people who died were from Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox and Oxford counties. The Maine CDC reminds people that 150 people die in Maine every year due to regular season- al influenza.

In Franklin County there have been 28 lab-confirmed cases, of which eight residents were hospitalized. Somerset is reporting 45 cases as of last week.

“Nationally, data indicate that H1N1 is striking young people the hardest. In Maine, that has not been the case, pointing out that influenza is unpredictable,” Mills said. The good news is that in mid December, they expanded vaccine availability beyond the U.S. CDC’s priority groups to include anyone who wants the vaccine, if local supplies allow. “Prescription antiviral medicines are also widely available to everyone who is at risk for complications from flu, including those 64 and older.”

To date, Maine has received 570,000 doses of either nasal vaccine or in shot form. By early January, nearly 675,000 doses are expected, enough for about half of the population.

Locally there have been some local H1N1 clinics for the general public. In Somerset County, there are two clinics at the Redington Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan from 4 to 7 p.m. which is free of charge. The general public is also invited to Sebasticook Family Doctors in Pitsfield today from 3 to 6 p.m. where H1N1 nasal and injectable shots will be available for $15.

Redington Fairview will also have a free clinic on Jan. 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. according to the Maine CDC. Already there have been a couple of public clinics here in Franklin County with more to follow.

The Healthy Community Coalition held two clinics for those 18 and older in Wilton and at the Sugarloaf Comp Center on Dec. 21.

State officials claim that if local supplies become exhausted, local clinics should focus their supply on the U.S. CDC priority list. “These priority groups are: pregnant women; all people 6 months through 24 years of age; caregivers and household contacts of those under 6 months; people 25 through 64 years of age with underlying conditions; and health care workers,” Mills said in a release.

“We recommend anyone ages 2 through 49 years of age who is otherwise healthy and not pregnant consider the nasal spray vaccine,” said Dr. Mills. “It is easy and safe, and in some public clinics there is an express line for it. It is also important that the injectable vaccine be reserved for those who cannot receive the nasal spray, and that includes those at highest risk for severe H1N1 disease –- pregnant women, anyone with chronic conditions and older people.”

The availability of H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine can be determined by calling 211, checking http://www.maineflu. gov or calling your health care provider. Additional information can be gathered locally by calling the Greater Franklin Flu Hotline at 779-3147 or visit fchn.org for the Franklin County Health Network and the Healthy Community Coalition. According to the hotline, people can call Franklin Health Internal Medicine at 778-4922 to set up an appointment to get vaccinated.

“Now is an excellent time to get vaccinated, especially those in high risk categories,” Mills explained.

“Although the disease surge is declining, we fully expect the virus to be circulating for months and even years to come. With increasing amounts of vaccine in Maine, now is the time for all of us to get vaccinated, and the number of vaccine clinics and opportunities are increasingly available across Maine.”