Dr. David L. Lakey, commissioner of health for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said it’s not too late to get the H1N1 flu vaccine. “H1N1 is still killing people. It is still hospitalizing people. The virus is still circulating. We have powerful tool in our arsenal against it -- a vaccine that is safe, effective and now plentiful. People who have not been vaccinated should do so now.”

Lakey said state health officials are concerned about what might happen in the future if another wave of illness hits. “We have weathered two major waves of the illness so far, one last spring and one last fall. We have a window of opportunity before a possible third wave,” he said.

Officials stress H1N1 is unpredictable: it might disappear in the spring or it might come back with a vengeance tomorrow. “From past pandemics, we know that a resurgence of H1N1 early this year is very possible,” Lakey said, adding it’s easier to prevent an illness that to combat it once it has taken hold.

Predicting the severity and occurrence levels of any flu is fairly impossible, Lakey said. Traditional flu season is October through mid-May. The highest levels of seasonal flu in Texas usually occur in January and February. But now always, he said. Since H1N1 only appeared last April, the health official said it is unclear if it will follow any seasonal pattern, and much hinges on the natural immunity the population is building up.

Texas has been on the front lines since the H1N1 virus was first identified in the U.S. last year. “We reported some of the first cases, and unfortunately the first deaths in the country,” Lakey said.

In October, the TDSHS began distributing an initial limited supply of vaccine using an unprecedented, highly targeted system through the state health department, and officials have been tracking deaths and hospitalizations of those with H1N1.

“People who choose not to get vaccinated put themselves and those around them at risk, especially babies younger than 6 months old who are too young for the vaccination,” Lakey said.

Nearly 200 babies younger than 6 months old have been hospitalized with H1N1 in Texas, and deaths have occurred in every age group.

“Though most H1N1 illnesses have been relatively mild, no flu should be dismissed as `just the flu.’”

Many parents of children under 10 are due to take their kids for their second recommended dose. That would be a good time for parents to be vaccinated, said the health commissioner.

Physicians continue to urge their patients to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu. Pregnant women in particular have had severe complications from the virus. People with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease and other health conditions are at a higher risk and should be vaccinated, Lakey added. Older adults and seniors also have shown to have complications when infected and should be vaccinated.

“The good news is that we finally have enough vaccine. We have a flu vaccine locator at TexasFlu.org to help people find doses close to them. Pharmacies, doctors’ offices, local health departments and many schools have plenty of vaccine to go around,” he said. “We have been looking forward to reaching this point since the first dose arrived in Texas, and the general public waited patiently as we targeted the scarce supply to those in highest priority groups, and then to other priority groups as supplies increased.”

Now there is enough for anyone who wants it, Lakey noted. “We must take advantage of this supply. As more people get vaccinated, the less we need to worry about the spread of illness during a possible third wave. Protect yourself. Protect each other.”