N.J. reports 2 more swine flu deaths
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
BY LINDY WASHBURN
The Record
STAFF WRITER
http://www.northjersey.com/news/120209_NJ_reports_2_more_swine_flu_deaths.html
New Jersey has reported two more deaths due to swine flu, but additional shipments of vaccine have finally eased the backlog in orders, according to the state Health Department’s weekly report Wednesday.
The deaths included an otherwise healthy 53-year-old man from Middlesex County, who was hospitalized for six days before dying on Nov. 22, and a 73-year-old Hudson County man with underlying medical conditions, who died in the hospital on Nov. 11. The cause of death for each was confirmed through laboratory testing, the state Department of Health said.
Since the epidemic began last April, 31 New Jersey residents have died of H1N1 influenza.
The level of H1N1 activity statewide was described as “widespread” in the report for the week ending last Saturday.
Nationwide, “there’s been a decline in activity, but there’s still lots of flu,” Thomas Frieden, the director of the federal Centers for Disease Control, said earlier this week. New Jersey is one of 32 states reporting widespread activity, a higher level than the “regional” activity reported elsewhere.
The decline in viral activity gives the public a “window of opportunity” to get vaccinated, Frieden said. Shipments of vaccine continue to be shipped in limited, staggered amounts around the country.
New Jersey has received 1,581,000 doses so far, and was able to fulfill its long-standing backlog of orders, according to the state health department. Most of the supply went to county and local health departments, followed by private physician offices.
While the federal government has assured state officials that enough vaccine will be available for everyone who wants to be vaccinated, the current supplies are limited to five target groups. They include pregnant women, parents and caregivers of babies younger than 6 months, children and young people from 6 months to 24 years old, healthcare workers, and adults up to age 65 with underlying medical conditions.
“It’s hard to predict with certainty when there’ll be widespread availability of vaccine,” Frieden said. “We’re a lot closer to that than we were a few weeks ago, but it’s going to be different in different parts of the country.”
New Jersey’s weekly report showed that emergency room visits due to influenza-like illness were down, but school absences were up last week.
E-mail: washburn@northjersey.com
H1N1 death toll hits nine in Qatar
Latest Update: Thursday3/12/2009December, 2009, 01:01 AM Doha Time
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=329777&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) yesterday reported a new H1N1 flu death, bringing the toll in Qatar to nine.
An official source at the council told Qatar News Agency that the latest victim was a 55-year-old Qatari national. He was admitted to hospital after suffering from myocardial infarction. Clinical tests revealed that he had also been infected with the H1N1 virus. The official said the patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Hamad Hospital on Monday.
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