The H1N1 flu — or swine flu — is continuing to decline.

That’s the latest word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s not still a good plan to get vaccinated against the new virus.

“I certainly understand that many people might say well there’s been so much disease and it’s going down so much, why get vaccinated now?” said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden during a press briefing on Dec. 10. “But the fact is we don’t know what the future will hold. Just as in a usual flu season, you get vaccinated because you think it might be a bad flu season. The vaccine is likely to protect you. That’s really the situation we’re in now.”

He said the future is uncertain when it comes to the H1N1 virus. The seasonal flu season also is just now getting under way so what the next several months will hold is unknown.

“Flu season generally lasts until May, and as I’ve indicated before, when we’ve asked flu experts from around the country and around the world what they think will happen in the rest of this flu season, about half think we will have a lot more cases between now and May. And about half think we won’t,” Frieden said.

“The truth is we don’t know. Only time will tell. And that’s why vaccination remains the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from H1N1 influenza.”

Fortunately, it’s now easier for people in South Carolina to get the H1N1 vaccination which previously was only stressed for those groups most at risk from the virus.

“This past Thursday, on December the 10th, it became effective throughout South Carolina that the nasal mist H1N1 vaccine — the nasal mist only — became available for healthy, non-pregnant individuals ages 2-49,” said Elizabeth McArthur, SCDHEC Public Information Coordinator for DHEC’s Public Health Region 2 which includes Union County. “That opens it up a little bit for folks to call the local health department in Union and to make appointments for the vaccine if they would like to get that vaccine.”

“The supply of the nasal spray — or mist — has become more plentiful in recent weeks so we want to make it more widely available,” said SCDHEC Bureau of Disease Control Chief Dr. Jerry Gibson when the announcement was made.

Manufacturers of the nasal mist — also called a live attenuated influenza vaccine — were able to produce large enough quantities of the vaccine earlier than the injectable vaccine could be produced. Gibson said as a result DHEC and many other state health departments around the country received additional doses of the nasal vaccine.

“Vaccine supplies continue to grow,” Frieden said during the press briefing. “We added more than 12 million additional doses available in the past week (prior to Dec. 10). That brings us to 85 million doses of H1N1 influenza vaccine available. Many states have increased the eligibility, having met the demand in the five priority groups, to the general population and that’s consistent with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.”

The CDC has seen an increasing number of states taking the same measure.

“We are — at the Union County Public Health Department — taking appointments on Mondays and Wednesdays for H1N1 vaccination,” McArthur said.

Anyone who would like to get the nasal mist vaccine can set up an appointment anytime from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on those days through the end of this year. To make an appointment, stop by the Union County Public Health Department office at 115 Thomas St. in Union or call (864) 429-1690.

“The nasal spray vaccine includes a live virus that has been weakened and it works just as well and is as safe as the injectable vaccine,” Gibson said. “In fact, it is often easier to give to younger children and people who do not like shots.”

He added people ages 2-49 who should get the nasal spray form of the vaccine include those with no underlying chronic conditions like heart disease, asthma or pregnancy and recommended conferring with your physician or healthcare provider about when to get the H1N1 vaccine.

As for the injectable H1N1 vaccine, that still is being reserved for people in those target CDC groups.

“The injectable vaccine is still for the CDC recommended groups, of which CDC has a list of about six different groups to receive injectable vaccine,” McArthur said.

Those targeted groups for the injectable version of the vaccine are:

• Children six months to 17 years of age.

• Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than six months of age.

• Pregnant women.

• Young adults ages 18-24.

• People 25-64 years old who have health conditions that put them at a higher risk of medical complications from flu, such as those with heart disease or other chronic illnesses like asthma.

• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel.

The CDC estimates, as of Dec. 10, there have been nearly 50 million cases of the H1N1 flu in the United States in the last seven months since it first appeared here. More than 200,000 have been hospitalized due to the new flu virus. The H1N1 flu also has killed nearly 10,000 people.

“That’s much higher than in a usual flu season,” Frieden said.

That means about 15 percent of the entire U.S. population — or one in six people — has been infected with H1N1 influenza since May.

“That still leaves most people not having been infected and still remaining susceptible to H1N1 influenza,” Frieden said.

And with the additional vaccine available, health officials still stress the best way to protect against the H1N1 or seasonal flu is to get vaccinated.

Just be patient.

“If you are currently not in one of the target groups for this vaccine or are not eligible to receive the nasal spray, be patient as others get immunized,” Gibson said. “Everyone who wants the vaccine should be able to receive it this winter, very likely before the next wave of Novel H1N1 flu reaches South Carolina.”

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT:

Anyone ages 2-49 who is healthy and non-pregnant who would like to get the nasal mist vaccine can set up an appointment anytime from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays through the end of this year. To make an appointment, stop by the Union County Public Health Department office at 115 Thomas St. in Union or call (864) 429-1690.

FOR MORE INFO:

• Get the latest news and information on the H1N1 and seasonal flus by visiting www.scdhec.gov/flu or www.flu.gov.