New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that free shots and mist for the H1N1 influenza will be offered to elementary school students.
The announcement, which comes nine weeks before Election Day, took place as officials around the country prepare for an uptick in H1N1 infections as schools go back into session. Tuesday, members of President Barack Obama's cabinet briefed him on the government's preparations for an expected increase in cases of the H1N1 flu virus.
Mr. Obama called for the public to take "commonsense" measures to contain the anticipated second wave of the virus, and said he expects a voluntary flu-shot program to begin soon.
The White House has ramped up its awareness campaign in recent days in an attempt to halt the spread of swine flu. Earlier Tuesday, it teamed up with the creators of Sesame Street to release four new public-service announcements. The PSAs, which feature Sesame Street stars Elmo and Gordon, encourage healthy habits that can combat the virus, including washing your hands, sneezing into the bend of your arm and avoiding hand contact with your eyes, nose and mouth.
The focus on prevention and preparedness is a crucial component of the government's strategy against H1N1 because a vaccine won't be ready for most Americans when the worst of the flu is expected to strike.
The White House warned last week that under a "plausible scenario" the resurgence of H1N1 this fall and winter could produce infection of 30%-50% of the U.S. population and cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the U.S., mainly among children and young adults.
"I don't want anybody to be alarmed but I do want everybody to be prepared," Mr. Obama said.
In New York, Mr. Bloomberg is encouraging residents to get flu shots or mist for both H1N1 and seasonal influenza. To help track breakouts, the city is planning to post daily and weekly updates on its new flu Web portal and report which schools have five or more cases of influenza-like illness.
New York City saw among the biggest initial outbreaks of H1N1 in the spring, with several schools seeing dozens of cases. Some of the infected students traveled to Mexico during spring break.
An assistant principal at a Queens intermediate school died in May. He contracted the illness, while complications besides the virus likely played a part in his death, officials said at the time. Link...
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