No surge of patients with flu-like illness has developed at A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman for the Oneonta facility said Monday.
But the facility is restricting visits to mothers and newborns to enhance protection of those more vulnerable populations, Fox spokeswoman Alisha Barbera said Monday.
The hospital and outpatient practices continue to see patients who have influenza-like symptoms, the hospital said in a media release.
Levels of H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, are widespread in New York, with more than 50 percent of counties reporting flu activity, according to the state Department of Health website. Vaccination in New York and other states is hindered by a nationwide shortage of the H1N1 flu vaccine because of unexpected delays in vaccine production, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Monday, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health reported that healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response after one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from its ongoing clinical trial.
"For pregnant women, who are among the most vulnerable to serious health problems from 2009 H1N1 infection, these initial results are very reassuring," NIAID director Dr. Anthony S. Faucim said in a media release.
According to the CDC, since the outbreak began last spring, at least 100 pregnant women have been hospitalized in intensive-care units in the United States and at the last official count, 28 pregnant women have died.
The Fox release said because of the lower than expected availability of vaccine, the hospital realigned its vaccine distribution to focus on high-risk populations, which include pediatric, obstetric, health care workers and people with chronic health issues, the release said.
Also, to increase safety measures for pregnant and newborn populations, Fox has implemented visitor restrictions to its inpatient obstetrics unit, the release said.
Under the restrictions, no visitors younger than 18 will be allowed because small children are more likely to carry and transmit illness to mothers and newborns, Fox officials said. No more than two people at a time will be allowed to visit a patient, and anyone with symptoms of illness will be asked not to visit.
Russell Grant, director of infection control at Fox, urged people to practice basic steps of infection control. The precautions include catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue or elbow, washing hands often and thoroughly with soap and running water or by using an antibacterial hand sanitizer, and being immunized as vaccines become available, he said in the release.
