Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

The cumulative number of deaths reported due to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in the UK is 180. There was a total of 1355 new patients hospitalised in England with suspected pandemic influenza in the week from 05 November to 11 November, a decrease from 1431 in the previous week. The hospitalisation rates have increased in the under 5-year age group, but have decreased in most other age groups recently.

SIX more people have died after contracting swine flu in Wales, bringing the death toll to 15.

Health Minister Edwina Hart has warned Wales that there will be further deaths as the pandemic continues.

These latest swine flu-related deaths come as officials figures suggest that the number of people contracting the H1N1 virus has fallen in the last week.

It also emerged that children and young people with severe learning disabilities will now be eligible for a swine flu jab because of the risk of serious complications.

In a written statement Mrs Hart said: “We are now well into the second wave of the pandemic in the UK.

“Advice I have recently received suggests that the swine flu is behaving as expected and in the vast majority of cases, people are recovering well.

“However, as the number of cases rise, we are likely to see more people experiencing severe complications, admission to critical care facilities and more deaths.

“There have now been 14 deaths in Wales. This will continue to increase over time.”

The 15th person to die after contracting swine flu was 29-year-old David Hayes, who had Down’s syndrome and died while on holiday in Spain last month.

Mrs Hart added: “I recently decided that all children and young people with severe learning difficulties will be treated as a priority for vaccination as they are at high risk of severe complications.

“Vaccination sessions will be held at the specialist schools and colleges and staff will also be offered protection because of the level of personal care they give.

“Arrangements are already in place for GP practices to vaccinate children and young people with severe learning difficulties who attend mainstream schools and colleges.”

Swine flu cases drop in England
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The number of new swine flu cases in the past week fell by nearly a quarter to 64,000 in England, figures show.

But experts warned against assuming the pandemic had peaked, saying it could be a "half-term effect" - flu rates tend to be higher when schools are open.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said next week's figures should give a fuller picture.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the UK there were slight rises as the number of deaths hit 182.
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Don't panic, urge doctors as Yorkshire's swine flu death toll rises
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DOCTORS have urged people not to panic following a significant increase in deaths linked to swine flu in Yorkshire.

Seven people with the virus have died in the region over the past fortnight, bringing the death toll to 16.
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Schoolgirl with swine flu dies
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The girl, from Slough, Berkshire, tested positive for the H1N1 virus, and was being treated at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.

She died there on 11 November, NHS Berkshire East confirmed.
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News of the girl's death was revealed on the day the Government announced that healthy children between the ages of six months and five years old are to be offered the swine flu vaccine.

THE north west's swine flu death toll has risen to 21.

A further seven people died from the H1N1 virus since the end of October.

More than 215,000 people have had the condition in the north west and 2,153 have needed hospital treatment and a quarter of them have needed intensive care.

Nationally it has claimed 142 lives since April with the latest the death being announced yesterday.

A schoolgirl, from Slough, Berkshire, tested positive for the H1N1 virus, and was being treated at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London.

She died there on November 11, NHS Berkshire East confirmed.

News of the girl's death was revealed on the day the government announced that healthy children between the ages of six months and five years old are to be offered the swine flu vaccine.

The programme will now be rolled out to children with no underlying health issues, aged over six months and under five, across the UK, Chief Medical Officer,

Priority

Professor Liam Donaldson, said: "Our first priority is to ensure that people with clinical risk factors, and frontline health and social care staff are vaccinated.

"Protecting those most at risk from the disease will reduce the levels of serious illness, and deaths. That's why we will shortly offer the vaccine to young children.

"Vaccination remains a personal choice, but I urge everyone who is offered the vaccine to accept it and protect themselves. While the risks of serious complications from 'flu may be small, the impact on those affected can be devastating."

NHS figures show that children under 16 are the age group most likely to be admitted to hospital with swine flu, and 21 per cent of deaths in England are among under-14s. But around half of patients are turning down the swine flu vaccine, according to a poll of 107 GPs.

The survey found some people were concerned about possible side-effects of the jab while others believed there was no need to have it because the virus is mild.

The swine flu vaccine has now been rolled out to all GP practices in the North West so that they can begin to vaccinate those groups of people who have been identified as 'at risk'.

Dr Ruth Hussey, North West Director for Public Health said, "I understand that people have questions about the swine flu vaccine. However when you look at the people who are being admitted to hospital, there is a clear pattern emerging, where people are becoming ill very quickly, and needing to stay in hospital for longer than would normally be expected.

Swine flu tests after death of boy aged five
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He died early yesterday at Milton Keynes hospital.
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"We don't yet know the cause of this boy's death"
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A further four people have died across the West Midlands as a result of swine flu, health bosses have said.
The latest figures mean the total number of people who have died after testing positively for swine flu in the region is 31.
The number of people seeing GPs for flu and flu-like illnesses rose slightly to 62.2 per 100,000 in the population from 61 last week.
There was a slight drop in the number of admissions to critical care units.
The number of people with swine flu admitted to hospital in the region was 207, compared to 216 the week before, NHS West Midlands said.