At least 6 Utah hospitals are barring children, sick from maternity wards

As health officials placed their first orders for the H1N1 flu vaccine, at least six Utah hospitals said they will bar children and those who are ill from visiting maternity wards and newborns beginning Thursday.

Other hospitals are now discussing which restrictions to implement, as the incidence of flu continues to rise both locally and nationally. For the week ending Sept. 26, the Utah Department of Health reported that 34 Utahns have been hospitalized with either seasonal flu or the H1N1 virus since Sept. 1.

State and local health officials placed their first orders for the H1N1 flu vaccine Wednesday, and a limited supply of up to 30,000 doses is expected to reach the state within two to 15 days, according to the health department. The initial shipment will be the nasal spray that has only been approved for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 who are not pregnant.

Hospitals with restrictions are Intermountain Medical Center, LDS Hospital, Alta View Hospital, Davis Hospital and Medical Center, McKay-Dee Hospital and Medical Center, and Ogden Regional Medical Center. All of those facilities will restrict access to their respective women's and children's departments. The hospitals are also prepared to restrict visitation to other areas as the rate of flu-like illness grows in their communities. In addition, hospital patients are being urged to wear masks.

Official said the action is being taken out of a "strong commitment to patient safety and a high level of commitment to the health of (the) patients." Pregnant women and infants are considered among the most vulnerable to the H1N1 virus.

Specifically, the restrictions are:

No visitors under 14. No one under the age of 12 or 14 (depending the specific facility) is allowed in this area of the hospital unless they are visiting for a medical reason.

No sick visitors. Those with a fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea should "please stay home."

Visitors must wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer, and cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper sleeve.

The Davis, Weber and Morgan facilities issued a press release midday Wednesday announcing the restrictions. "The Weber-Morgan Health Department supports these hospital measures to minimize risk of exposure and spread of the H1N1 virus," said Gary House, director of the Weber/Morgan Health Department.