Hard to say. But with the flu the idea is to vaccinate before there is a breakout. The flu may never spread as far as Ohio, or it could be there already and we just don’t know it yet. But it is a moot point, it doesn’t sound like the CDC is planning on making a vaccine against this stuff.
Add the time it would take to manufacture a vaccine in large quantities to the three weeks it takes to get immunity from the flu vaccine, and the horse is way out of the barn. The possible epidemic will just have to run its course. The good news is the fatality rate in this country with appropriate medical care is quite low. The other good news I read upstream is that this particular strain appears to be sensitive to Tamiflu.
However, having said that, we are way overdue for a flu pandemic. Even with good medical care here, a large flu outbreak would overtax our medical system. During flu season we are often at the point where there are no free hospital beds in the city, let alone ICU beds. If tens of thousands of people were to come down with flu badly enough to need hospitalization, the system would break.
That statement applies to ordinary seasonal flu. It most certainly DOES NOT apply to an influenza capable of evoking a cytokine storm such as the 1918 Spanish Flu (zero or minor symptoms to dead in 6 to 8 hours). Your concern about numbers of hospital beds in spot on. Even fewer available ventilators than ICU beds.
P.S. For anyone interested in ways of dealing with the unwanted hyper immune system response which is the cytokine storm, refer to an earlier comment of mine with a link to a good article. The cytokine storm is essentially an auto-immune system disorder compressed into a few hours, instead of a lifetime, in which your body attacks its own tissue in an exaggerated response. This is one case where a strong immune system is detrimental.
“The other good news I read upstream is that this particular strain appears to be sensitive to Tamiflu.”
I understand this must be administered less than 30 into the event in order for it to do any good?