Avian, Asian, Novel H1N1: What’s in a Name?

If the recent unprecedented initial uptake of seasonal influenza vaccines can be used as a measure of public sentiment, then here’s some good news: Americans are taking seasonal influenza as seriously this year as it should be taken every year. Perhaps H1N1 reinforced that all influenzas are dangerous and unpredictable, causing sickness and death. But regardless of what we call it — Asian, avian, swine or seasonal — the loss of human life to any kind of influenza is a tragedy.

This year’s H1N1 pandemic has sparked a healthy and motivating fear in many Americans. And, the public is right to worry about H1N1, as it already has caused a lot of illness and death. But let’s not forget that seasonal influenza is associated with nearly 40,000 deaths in the United States every year. Have we heard this statistic one too many times and somehow become immune to it? Influenza shouldn’t merit this kind of attention just when it comes with a new name or is attached to the word “pandemic.”

Vaccination remains our most effective tool to prevent influenza; nevertheless, every year seasonal flu vaccine doses go unused. This year, the U.S. has about 116 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine to administer. Supplies are dwindling—that’s good; they’re being used—but supplies are not exhausted. We need to continue to encourage all those who would benefit from vaccination to seek it—it’s worth the extra effort to find the doses that still are out there.