OTTAWA — Canadians with asthma and other chronic lung diseases could see their symptoms worsen if they pick up the swine flu and should get their conditions under control before the expected second wave of the pandemic hits.
According to the Lung Association, people with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema are more likely to experience severe symptoms of the swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, and to need hospitalization.
In a conference call hosted Tuesday by the Lung Association, Dr. Darcy Marciniuk, head of the division of respirology at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, said now is the time for all Canadians, but especially those with a lung disease, to prepare.
"the symptoms may differ and the severity may be different in people with underlying lung disease but moreover, it may also serve as a precipitant to exacerbate or worsen their underlying lung disease," he said.
Marciniuk explained the advice being offered by the Lung Association on its website, which includes telling people with asthma (about three million Canadians have asthma) and other lung diseases to get their symptoms under control so that their lungs are in good condition and able to fight off the flu.
The association recommends people get an "action plan" from their doctor so they know what to do if their condition worsens, and it has templates for a plan on its website.
The group also emphasized the importance of people taking their medications to prevent and control their symptoms and of having an extra supply of medicine on hand.
"A key message will be the vaccination when it becomes available, to get in line early, not only for any specific H1N1 vaccination that will become available, but also for the regular flu seasonal vaccination as it becomes available this fall," said Marciniuk.
The regular seasonal flu vaccine will be available in early fall, as usual. the new swine flu vaccine is currently being produced and won’t be ready until November. Canada has ordered 50.4 million doses of the new vaccine and is awaiting the results of clinical trials to determine if one or two shots will be needed to provide immunity.
Dr. Ken Scott, from the pandemic preparedness division at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said during the call that officials suspect two doses will be needed, probably 21 days apart.
Concerns have been raised about the scheduled delivery of the vaccine and whether it will come too late, especially if the second wave of the swine flu hits early in the fall instead of December when the flu season normally begins. Public health officials have said that if an early arrival is the case, antivirals and other measures will be used to "buy time" until the vaccine is ready. Scott said officials want to make sure the vaccine is safe and effective. By rolling it out in November, Canada has the benefit of viewing months worth of safety data from the clinical trials that are currently underway around the globe, said Scott.
"We don’t know what the attack rate will be this fall. so far this influenza has been a relatively mild illness. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hopefully that’s the way its going to stay. But we are planning for the worst and I think that’s the appropriate thing to do," he said.
People who do contract the swine flu, or other influenza viruses, can be treated with antiviral medication if necessary. Tamiflu and Relenza are the two main drugs that are approved in Canada and so far, have been effective against the swine flu. there have been reports of complications with Relenza, however, in people with lung diseases.
Marciniuk said it’s not clear if the complications are only in people whose asthma is not well-controlled but it’s yet another reason why people with the condition should ensure they are in good shape.
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