H1N1 Deaths Reported in Britain

Britain's Health Protection Agency  has confirmed 10 deaths attributed to N1N1 flu.

The deaths occurred within the past six weeks.

A statement from the head of the HPA, Professor John Watson, said:

"Over the last few weeks, we have seen a rise in the number of cases of seasonal flu both H1N1 (2009) and flu B in the community.


We have also received reports of patients with serious illness requiring hospitalization and outbreaks of flu in schools across the country."

Flu vaccines given out this year include H1N1 protection. The CDC is offering the following guidelines according to their website:

• All persons aged 6 months and older should be vaccinated annually.
• Protection of persons at higher risk for influenza-related complications should continue to be a focus of vaccination efforts as providers and programs transition to routine vaccination of all persons aged 6 months and older.
• When vaccine supply is limited, vaccination efforts should focus on delivering vaccination to persons who:
• are aged 6 months--4 years (59 months);
• are aged 50 years and older;
• have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
• are immunosuppressed (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus);
• are or will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• are aged 6 months--18 years and receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• are residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities;
• are American Indians/Alaska Natives;
• are morbidly obese (body-mass index is 40 or greater);
• are health-care personnel;
• are household contacts and caregivers of children aged younger than 5 years and adults aged 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children aged younger than 6 months; and
• are household contacts and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.