Low levels of Respiratory Viruses

Our weekly graphs will be coming on line shortly, once all of our sites start reporting their statistics. In the meantime I am getting some reports of sporadic RSV in the community and occasional influenza A. The nationwide surveillance shows flu circulation to be at low levels (<1%). Here is an update from the CDC with a link to their flu website:

During week 41 (October 8 - October 14, 2006), a low level of influenza
activity was reported in the United States. Nine (1.0%) specimens tested
by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and
Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories
were positive for influenza. The proportion of patient visits to
sentinel providers for influenza-like illness (ILI) and the proportion
of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza were below baseline
levels. Two states reported local influenza activity; six states
reported sporadic influenza activity; 40 states, New York City, and the
District of Columbia reported no influenza activity, and 2 states did
not report.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

Influenza vaccinations have started across the county and with that comes questions about supply of vaccine. There are expected to be over 100 million doses distributed during this 2006-7 season and 3/4 of the supply is expected to be available by the end of this week. For the transcript of the CDC's press briefing with Jeanne Santoli, MD, MPH,
Deputy Director of the Immunization Services Division at the National
Centers for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC go to: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t061018.htm