CDC Warns of H1N1, Pneumonia Risks

The Centers for Disease Control issued a warning Wednesday that catching the H1N1 virus can put patients at risk, not only of developing complications, but serious bacterial pneumonia.

Influenza infections can reduce the lining of the respiratory tract and set a person up for pneumonia. Common bacteria like pneumoccocus that live in the nose and throat can invade the lungs when there's a viral infection like influenza.

"We have seen this increase in what's called invasive pneumococcal disease. That's the serious type of pneumococcal disease where the bacteria invades the blood or other internal sites," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC.

Dr. Schuchat said the major warning sign of pneumonia is when a patient seems to be recovering from flu symptoms then suddenly gets worse.

"Having high fever and cough and feeling miserable, then starting to feel a bit better, then suddenly really taking a turn for the worse, that is an important warning sign. We can see that in children or in adults and it doesn't necessary always mean bacterial pneumonia, but it very much can mean that," said Dr. Schuchat.

Dr. Scuchat said there is a vaccine called Pneumovax, which can prevent the serious bacterial infections.

Pneumovax is recommended for adults with a chronic medical conditions, and this year asthmatics and smokers were added to the list.

"Current smokers are recommended to receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine because there is pretty good data they are at higher risk of invasive pneumococcal disease," said Dr. Schuchat.

The CDC said just over 61 million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine have been offered to states with tens of millions of Americans already vaccinated, the agency is carefully tracking reports of adverse side effects.

Dr. Schuchat said so far theH1N1 vaccine seems to be as safe as the seasonal flu vaccine.

"Almost all of the reports that have come in to our vaccine adverse events report system or VAERS, about 94 percent of those reports are classified as not serious. They're pretty much a sore arm, redness in the arm or tenderness. Those sorts of things which are quite common to any injected vaccine," said Dr. Schuchat.

Health officials are using three different tracking systems to watch for reports of a rare neurologic problem called Guillain-Barre syndrome or GBS, which was linked to an earlier swine flu vaccine in 1976.

"Currently 10 reports to VAERS have come in about Guillain-Barre syndrome cases. They have been and are under review. And the number of reports, given the number of doses that have gotten out there are not at all notable. The vaccine data so far really suggests this is a safe vaccine," said Dr. Schuchat.