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Last modified: Friday, October 30, 2009 1:36 PM CDT
Health officials say ND flu hotline busy
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s flu hotline has been getting a healthy dose of calls since it started nearly two weeks ago.
The public health hotline is set up to answer questions about swine flu, also known as the H1N1 strain, as well as seasonal flu.
The hotline is staffed by Health Department personnel and is averaging about 85 calls a day. Department spokeswoman Loreeta Canton says most of the questions are about where the vaccine is available and who’s eligible to get it.
Canton says the hotline is not designed to give medical advice. She says about 20 operators handle the calls and more will be added.
State health officials reported 1,577 confirmed flu cases in North Dakota this week. They believe most are the H1N1 strain. Burleigh County reported 180 cases, followed by Cass County with 175 and Grand Forks County with 133.
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