by KYW's Tony Romeo
Pennsylvania health officials say the spread of swine flu has apparently peaked in the state – for now.
As is the case in much of the rest of the country, swine flu activity in Pennsylvania is declining. Dr. Stephen Ostroff is Pennsylvania’s acting physician-general:
“When you look at all of the various sources of information that we have, all of them are telling us that it looks like the disease was at its highest level towards the end of October.”
But even though reports of swine flu have dropped off about 30 to 40 percent since late October, Ostroff says, flu activity in Pennsylvania is still higher than at any point in any recent flu season -- even though there’s practically no sign of seasonal flu.
And, Ostroff says, vigilance is also in order because it is “pretty likely” that there will be additional waves of swine flu outbreaks as winter progresses into spring.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Health Department will offer more free swine flu clinics for high-risk residents in Delaware, Lehigh, and Lancaster counties on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 24th and 25th. You must schedule an appointment first. Call 1-877-PA-HEALTH between 7am and 7pm.
Target groups include individuals six months to 24 years of age, those who have contact with infants younger than six months, health care and EMT personnel, pregnant women, and those under age 65 with underlying health conditions.
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