U.S. Naval Forces Europe, 6th Fleet Public Affairs

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Marc Rockwell-Pate

NAPLES, Italy—Hospitals and clinics located throughout the Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Region continue to execute a strategy of information awareness and vaccination of personnel to combat what has become a worldwide fight against the H1N1 flu.

"The vaccination program is going very well," said Cmdr. Timothy Halenkamp, director, public health services at Naval Hospital Naples, Italy. "To date we have vaccinated more than 80 percent of the active duty personnel in the area."

Currently all active duty personnel and high-risk Department of Defense beneficiaries are eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine. High-risk beneficiaries include personnel deploying or stationed aboard a ship, health care workers, pregnant family members, people with blood and cardiovascular disorders, as well as many other factors.

Other beneficiaries, including children, are starting to get the vaccination based upon the availability of the vaccine at each installation.

Though not all beneficiaries are required to get the vaccine, Halenkamp says everyone should consider receiving the H1N1 vaccine.

"Military members are required to receive the vaccination unless they have a documented medical or religious contraindication," Halenkamp said. "For everyone else the vaccine is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged since this is the number one way to protect ourselves and others against this pandemic flu."

Halenkamp said that the H1N1 vaccine is produced using the same methods as the seasonal flu vaccine, which has proven to be extremely safe and effective. The H1N1 vaccine contains no live virus, so there is no risk of contracting the flu from the immunization itself.

To stay a step ahead of the H1N1 virus, Navy Medicine tracks the number of influenza-like illnesses at each hospital and clinic in the region in order to detect outbreaks of illness very early on and intervene appropriately, said Capt. Mark Malakooti, preventive medicine officer at U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa – U.S. Sixth Fleet Fleet Surgeon's office.

"The United States CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] months ago stopped tracking and reporting cases of H1N1 because testing had become impractical," said Malakooti. "In addition they recommended that only patients with serious illness and those admitted to hospitals be tested for H1N1 if it was suspected."

Navy Medicine continues to follow these recommendations this flu season according to Malakooti.

Together with the vaccine efforts, medical professionals in the region are also helping disseminate information about the flu using flyers and radio and television commercials. The Commander, Navy Installations Command Web site, located at www.cnic.navy.mil, also provides valuable information about H1N1 flu, how it spreads, who is at the greatest risk and how to prevent contracting the virus.

According to the CNIC Web site, personnel can do a number of things to minimize the impact of H1N1, including maintaining a healthy lifestyle, eating well, exercising, and getting at least eight hours of sleep. Other prevention methods include frequently washing your hands with soap and water, limiting unnecessary exposure to people with coughs or fevers, and utilizing medical facemasks in high-risk environments.

For additional information on the H1N1 flu or the vaccine, please visit the CNIC Web site or the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov.

Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia is responsible for providing efficient and effective shore service support to U.S. and allied forces operating at our installations. For more information about the command, visit http://www.cnic.navy.mil/europe.

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