United Kingdom, France, Nederlands, Europe, and Scandinavia

[Eliza]

Latest news over here, the Health Ministry put a ruckus when they heard how few French had taken the jab and that the vaccine was going to be sold. The government has now yielded and has decided to allow doctors to give the Swine flu jabs as well as the designated centers. They believe that the doctors will be able to explain to their patients why they DO need the jab. And that's it for now.

Some other countries followed the lead of the USA and made the jab too difficult to obtain due to all of their "priority groups."

Out of frustration, and distrust of the government, many decided it wasn't worth getting the jab.

In the USA, to salvage the botched vaccine program, thousands of drug stores, and big box stores have purchased vaccine directly from the HHS/CDC.

Management of the H1N1 vaccine program, was a debacle due to very poor micro management by Obama and Sebelius.

The long lines in the cold, and HHS priorities, made many decide NOT to get the jab, in the USA. It was lunacy to make baby sitters a higher priority than the elderly and disabled. 1/2 the health care workers didn't trust the process and those that wanted the inoculation, had to wait until bureaucrats, not doctors, decided it was their turn.

Obama politicizes everything.

[yankee-in-france]

I don't think that this has anything to do with politics, Eliza. The French did the same thing, as I mentioned, but now have decided to allow the doctors the opportunity to get the people innoculated because the French are very much opposed to it.

Could we please not carry politics into this forum?

The French prioritized also and along almost the same guidelines including the babysitters (as they are considered caregivers). The 65+ were the last of the priority and then comes the general population. I just received the notice the last month.

[Eliza]

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/184 ... u-response

SWINE FLU PANDEMIC COST UK £1.2BN

Thursday July 1,2010

The swine flu pandemic cost Britain more than £1.2 billion despite being much less severe than feared, a Government-commissioned review has found.

Warnings that 65,000 people in the UK could die in a worst-case scenario proved far too pessimistic - and the actual death toll during the outbreak was 457.

An inquiry into the handling of the emergency concluded that the Government's response was "proportionate and effective".

But it criticised the restrictive contracts with drug companies which have left a stockpile of over 20 million unused doses of swine flu vaccines for England alone. The review revealed that Britain spent £654 million preparing for a possible flu pandemic, and £587 million responding to last year's H1N1 outbreak - a total of £1.24 billion. This included £1.01 billion on drugs, among them anti-virals, vaccines and antibiotics, as well as £115.4 million on items like face masks and respirators.

Critics questioned why the bill for tackling the pandemic was so large, with one describing Britain's response as a "hugely expensive farce". But Dame Deirdre Hine, a former chief medical officer for Wales who led the review, defended the cost. "I think we have got to set these figures, which seem enormous, against the potential for saving lives," she told reporters. "It is fairly clear that there probably were lives saved of very young people, young children and so on."

After the H1N1 outbreak in April last year, the Government made plans to buy up to 132 million doses of swine flu vaccine, enough to give everyone in the UK two doses. But the contracts it signed with drug manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Baxter were too inflexible, the review found. Baxter agreed to a "break clause" allowing the Government to cancel its order for some of the doses but GSK refused.

The Department of Health said it ordered 90 million vaccine doses from GSK, of which it eventually agreed to take 34.8 million. It also placed an order for 36 million doses with Baxter, 9.2 million of which were purchased before the contract was cancelled. About 4.88 million doses of the vaccine were given to people in England in priority groups such as pregnant women and sufferers of asthma, diabetes and heart disease.

The Department of Health said it still held just over 20 million doses of swine flu vaccine for England, with shelf lives that run out by October 2011. Dame Deirdre's review team said commercial confidentiality prevented them from revealing how much money would have been saved if the Government's vaccine contracts had included break clauses. But their report said: "The lack of such a clause in the advance purchase agreements for both contracts consequently exposed the Exchequer to some risk."

Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "The swine flu response has proved to be a hugely expensive farce. Serious questions must be asked about why so much was spent on combating a threat that turned out not to be very serious. It's unacceptable to hide the details of this massive bill behind the excuse of commercial confidentiality. We need full details and full answers about this scandalous waste of money."

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "We welcome Dame Deirdre Hine's review into the UK response to the swine flu pandemic and thank her for her hard work."

[Eliza]

Vulnerable urged to have jab as swine flu numbers double

BRIAN DONNELLY

24 Dec 2010

Cases of swine flu in Scotland have doubled in just over a week, with five people taken to intensive care units for treatment.

The new figures, published yesterday, prompted an official recommendation for almost a quarter of a million vulnerable people, including pregnant women, to get vaccinated.

There have now been 83 confirmed cases of H1N1, up from 42 at the last count. The Scottish Government said there was no indication so far that swine flu could reach the same proportions as last year, but people with underlying chronic health conditions were urged to come forward.

Since the start of the flu season, 11 people with laboratory- confirmed influenza have required intensive care treatment as a result of severe infection. Two Scots with the condition have died in recent weeks.

Last month, chief medical officer Dr Harry Burns said fewer Scots were expected to catch flu this year because of the mass immunisation programme for the H1N1 strain of the virus last year, but there would be cases of a number of strains.

There were 1439 cases of laboratory-confirmed H1N1 hospitalised at this time last year, the Scottish Government said yesterday. There were 457 deaths linked to swine flu in the UK during last year, 69 of which were in Scotland.

Yesterday, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon encouraged all Scots entitled to a free seasonal flu vaccination to protect themselves against flu. This year’s jab also protects against swine flu.

Complications during her first pregnancy led Catriona Elder to get the flu jab yesterday. She is one of more than 230,000 vulnerable Scots vaccinated against seasonal viruses.

The 32-year-old admissions officer at Edinburgh University, who lives in the St Leonard’s area of the capital, said the jab offered her reassurance.

Ms Elder, who is 22 weeks pregnant, said: “It has not been an easy pregnancy and I know that these things can cause serious complications, so I thought if the jab is available then why take the risk?”

Among people under the age of 65 who are eligible, 47% have had their free seasonal flu jab. Among those aged 65 and over, the rate stands at 70%.

The uptake is not so good among pregnant women with no other risk factors, with only 19% of them taking up the offer of vaccination. The Health Secretary urged more to come forward.

Earlier this month, 24-year-old mother Ashleigh Morrison was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock after being struck down with flu hours before giving birth.

After her daughter was delivered, doctors put Ms Morrison into a medically induced coma.

Ms Sturgeon said: “For the majority of healthy people, seasonal flu is an unpleasant but short-lived illness from which they make a full recovery. However for more vulnerable individuals, contracting flu can have serious or even fatal consequences.

“That’s why it is important for people who are entitled to a vaccination, such as pregnant women or older people with chronic breathing and heart problems, to make sure they get it.

“Levels of flu in Scotland remain below normal seasonal flu activity levels and so people should not be unduly alarmed. However, we are starting to see an increase and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to get themselves vaccinated.”

Gillian Smith, director of the Royal College of Midwives in Scotland, also stressed the benefit of the flu jab for pregnant women.

She said: “Being pregnant means you’re at greater risk of experiencing complications from the flu because a woman’s immune system is slightly suppressed to help them cope with pregnancy. At worst, you could experience premature labour, miscarriage or be hospitalised.”

Dr Dean Marshall, chairman of the BMA’s Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said: “GPs in Scotland are reporting that fewer of their ‘at risk’ patients are coming forward to be immunised this year and are concerned that, as a consequence, the regular seasonal outbreak could prove much more serious.

“This year’s vaccination includes protection against the H1N1 strain of flu so it is even more important that eligible patients come forward for the vaccine.

“Myths persist about the safety of the vaccine, especially after swine flu. The vaccine has been thoroughly tested and we strongly urge patients, in particular pregnant women, to make an appointment with their GP and get vaccinated.”

[Eliza]

Swine flu epidemic fear as hospital admissions soar by 250 per cent in a week


By Jo Macfarlane


Last updated at 9:47 AM on 26th December 2010


Fears of a swine flu epidemic have grown after figures revealed the number of seriously ill patients being treated in hospital for influenza has surged by 250 per cent in a week in the worst outbreak for 20 years.

Eighteen adults and nine children have died from flu this winter.

Some hospital trusts are starting to cancel operations to leave beds empty to make way for a surge in flu cases, with one leading Department of Health official warning of potential shortages in the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

The Department of Health figures reveal the extent of the worsening crisis and show that the number of critical care beds being used by flu patients has risen by more than
half in three days.

On Friday, the Government confirmed there were 460 patients with suspected or confirmed flu in hos¬pitals across England, compared with 302 on Tuesday and 182 at the end of last week.

Normally the worst cases of flu are seen in those over the age of 65. But the vast majority this year, 366, are patients aged between 16 and 64, while 43 are children, with 26 below the age of five.

It is not known how many of these cases are swine flu, but the virus is the dominant flu strain this winter and it is expected that most will have the H1N1 virus.

The Health Protection Agency has said that so far this winter, nine children and 18 adults have died of flu. However, the official figures represent a small proportion of cases being treated in hospital because data is not collected on the number of flu patients on ordinary wards.

Doctors have described the stark increase in cases as unprecedented, with some calling it the worst flu outbreak for more than two decades.

Experts have warned the situation will get worse. The country’s leading virologist, Professor John Oxford, said: ‘I wish I could be optimistic about this outbreak,
but I have an uneasy, restless feeling.

'Swine flu is the biggest virus on the block and there are plenty of people still to infect.’

Shadow Health Secretary John Healey blamed Health Secretary Andrew Lansley for worsening the crisis by failing to advertise the seasonal flu vaccine, which offers protection against swine flu.

‘The Health Secretary made the wrong judgment, which has left many people without the flu pro¬tection they should have,’ said Mr Healey.

‘He should authorise an immediate campaign to encourage those most at risk to get the jab.’

Some intensive care wards, and particularly those for children, are already reaching full capacity.

The NHS in England has about 3,500 critical care beds and some trusts are cancelling operations to make way for a surge in flu cases.

More...Father-of-four is latest victim of swine flu as health chiefs confirm virus has caused 24 deaths
NHS at the limit: Intensive care units almost full as swine flu takes its toll

Consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Richard Firmin, of Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital, said: ‘If the numbers in intensive care keep going up, we’ll need further capacity and we’re running very close to the edge.’

Meanwhile, the Department of Health’s chief pharmaceutical officer, Dr Keith Ridge, has warned of potential shortages in the antiviral drug Tamiflu because of the Government’s decision to allow GPs to prescribe the drug to all people with flu-like symptoms, rather than those only in at-risk groups.

In a letter to pharmacists, Dr Ridge said wholesalers were rationing supplies and urged pharmacists not to over-order.

Andrew Lansley described the rise in cases as a ‘significant increase’ but insisted the NHS was responding well to the crisis.

He said: ‘We will continue to monitor the situation and respond as necessary.’

[Hannie]

Damn, Is it also dangerous via websites?

[Eliza]

Flu epidemic fears played down


(UKPA) – 34 minutes ago

Under-fives were excluded from this year's flu vaccination programme on medical not cost grounds, the Government has insisted as it played down concerns that the UK was headed for an epidemic.

The Department of Health (DoH) defended its handling of the winter outbreak amid Labour criticism of the lack of dedicated protection for young children

and the decision to axe the annual flu-jab awareness campaign.Days after the latest figures showed a dramatic rise in the number of flu cases, shadow health secretary John Healey accused ministers of leaving youngsters at risk.

The Daily Telegraph said the decision not to offer jabs was a cost-cutting measure - saving £85 million - and reported that doctors were concerned that next week's return to school could spark the first epidemic for a decade.

But the DoH denied Health Secretary Andrew Lansley had "cancelled" the programme, saying he had simply accepted the advice of the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). It had initially said that it would be "prudent" to repeat last year's jabs for youngsters but dropped that recommendation in revised advice in July, officials said.

"Our influenza immunisation programme has been designed to protect those particularly at risk from serious disease, either from influenza itself or in whom influenza would make their underlying disease worse," the DoH said. "This means that we use an age and risk group-based approach in line with most other countries that have seasonal influenza vaccination programmes. We continue to monitor the current situation very carefully and JCVI keeps the policy for seasonal influenza vaccination under review as well."

Mr Healey told the Daily Mail: "The serious problem lies with the groups that are most at risk, like children. That has come because the Government axed the annual advertising campaign and they cancelled the flu jab plan for the under-fives."

But Mr Lansley renewed his insistence that the publicity campaign was not required. "There is no additional merit in a vaccination advertising campaign for the general population when there is already a targeted approach for those who need to be called," he said. "We urge those who have been contacted to respond positively."

On Friday, official figures showed the number of people in critical care with confirmed or suspected flu in England had risen to 460 - more than double the figure of a week before. Of those, 366 were aged between 16 and 64, 51 were aged 65 and over, 26 were under five and another 17 were aged between five and 15. Nine children are among the 27 people to have died from flu this season so far. Among the fatalities, 24 had swine flu. Three suffered from another strain, flu type B, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

Responding to claims the return to school could result in the first flu epidemic for a decade, a DoH spokesman said: "Any predictions on flu in 2011 are entirely speculative. There could be an increase in cases or just as easily very few cases amongst school children."

[Eliza]

Why was the flu jab campaign dropped?


Pressure was last night growing on Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, to reinstate the annual flu jab publicity campaign, as the virus continued to spread across the country.

By Stephen Adams, Medical Correspondent 8:30AM GMT 28 Dec 2010

Mr Lansley took the decision to axe the campaign believe it would not have made "any difference".

But the Labour Party has called into question his judgement, saying he has forced the NHS to play "catch up", while health experts said advertising campaigns were essential to persuade people to get vaccinated.

Flu vaccination rates are down on last year, recent figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show.

Under Labour, the annual NHS budget for advertising the flu vaccine was around £1.5 million, but this rose to £15 million last year in response to the first outbreak of swine flu.

John Healey, the Shadow Health Secretary, last night accused Mr Lansley of paying scant attention to the flu threat.

He said: "The only attention the Health Secretary paid to preparations for this winter’s flu outbreak was to axe the annual autumn advertising campaign to encourage vaccination.

He continued: "GPs, nurses, midwives and NHS staff are under pressure advising and treating patients with flu but the Health Secretary’s decision has left the NHS playing catch-up, because vaccination levels for all groups are down on last year."

Under current NHS guidance, all those aged 65 or over should be vaccinated with this year's seasonal jab, which contains the swine flu (H1N1) strain responsible for most deaths and two other strains.

In addition, certain 'at risk groups' of younger adults should also be vaccinated, including all pregnant women, people with serious medical conditions, carers and health workers.

The take up in those 65 and over is 68.4 per cent this season - two percentage points down on last winter.

The take-up across the other at-risk groups is only 42.9 per cent - down 5.5 percentage points.

Among pregnant women with "risk factors" such as asthma, it is only 25 per cent, suggesting the figure for those without, which is not yet known, is lower still.

Doctors are particularly worried about swine flu in pregnant women as last year it proved to be much more lethal in them than others.

Mr Lansley was asked in a Christmas Eve interview on BBC Radio Four why he had cancelled a £177,500 publicity drive.

He responded: "I don't think an ad campaign would necessarily have made any difference."

He denied the decision was on cost grounds, saying it was more effective for GPs' surgeries to contact people in the at-risk groups directly.

Britain was "almost unique across the world" in having a thorough system of registration with GPs, he said, enabling this kind of approach.

But Prof John Oxford, a virologist at the University of London, retorted: "No person on this planet is immune to advertising.

"Mr Lansley is in a bit of a spot if he thinks advertising doesn't work - he is on very thin ice."

After the last major epidemic in 1999/2000, which killed up to 25,000 mainly older people, the government had decided to instigate an annual campaign.

Henry Cooper, the boxer, launched it in September 2000, warning older people: "Don't get knocked out by flu. Get your jab in first."

Prof Oxford said advertising raised awareness of the flu threat and countered a growing "anti-science" suspicion about vaccines.

[Eliza]

Mom, newborn die of swine flu in Scotland

Published: Dec. 29, 2010 at 8:05 PM

PRESTON, Scotland, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A Scottish mother and her newborn died from swine flu during the holidays and another new mother is struggling to hang on, hospital officials said.

The Daily Record reported Tuesday Julie Ellison, 31, died a few hours after her baby Jessica died during labor Christmas Eve at a hospital in Preston, Lancashire.

"I've lost everything. Why is life so cruel?" asked Ellison's partner, Tom Howe. "It should have been the happiest day of my life. I don't know what to do, I am devastated. I can't put into words what this has done to me," said Howe, who lost his father to cancer in November.

Meanwhile, Ashleigh Morrison continues to fight a severe infection at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire, where her baby was delivered two weeks ago by Caesarean section after Morrison contracted swine flu. Her daughter, Elise, was born healthy and Morrison's condition has been slowly improving after doctors induced a coma, the Record said.

Swine flu killed 69 people in Scotland last year.

[Eliza]

Prince William in dramatic rescue bid of tragic swine flu mum

by Melissa Thompson, Daily Mirror 30/12/2010

PRINCE William played a key role in a dramatic attempt to save the life of a new mum diagnosed with swine flu.

The Prince, 28, was flying a helicopter from his RAF base in Anglesey, North Wales, when he was diverted to pick up a life support machine from Leicester and take it to a hospital in Manchester. It was hoped the machine would help critically-ill Sarah Bowden, 20, from Manchester, who was suffering from the illness but she died earlier this month, 11 days after the birth of her son Harry.

Stepmum Kelly Sarginson, 38, said: “William gave her a chance of survival and we will always be grateful.”

[Eliza]

Two die in French flu epidemic

Submitted by Annabel Tautou on Thu, 12/30/2010 - 08:57


The loss due to viral epidemic is always like a nightmare for people of any realm. France is publicly in the clutch of a flu outbreak after 176,000 people got ill and two persons died. To be categorized as a pandemic, new issues of influenza this was documented by doctors to figure more than 174 in every 100,000 people every week.

This figure was violated last week, when there were 280 issues reported per 100,000 people. Three viral strains are responsible for this including A (H1N1) 2009 which materialized last year as swine flu. Britain's fitness authorities have stated on December 23rd that 27 people have died up to now due to influenza and 24 out of them due to swine flu.

Agencies in both nations were influencing citizens in vulnerable conditions, mainly the aged and those with respiratory troubles, to get immunized.

Purported recurrent flu outbreak creates yearly health troubles in moderate countries at the beginning of winter season. According to the World Health Organization, flu pandemic internationally effect in approximately 3 million to 5 million issues of harsh illness every year and 250,000 to 500,000 fatalities.



Add new comment Filed under: France, Health

[Eliza]

"Socialized" NHS is telling Brits NOT to report to the ER as it costs the NHS about $180 US for every ER flu visit. I'll bet the folks with very sick children love being told that.

E-


Flu: vulnerable patients 'being turned away from GP surgeries' amid vaccine shortage
Pregnant women, the elderly and vulnerable patients are being turned away from GP surgeries amid claims that doctors do not have enough flu vaccines.

By Andrew Hough, and Richard Alleyne

8:00AM GMT 01 Jan 2011

As NHS hospitals struggle to cope with a surge flu cases, many surgeries have failed to order sufficient doses to combat this year’s outbreak. The problems are so severe in some areas that non-urgent operations have been cancelled.

Pregnant women, the elderly and other vulnerable patients with chronic illnesses are being refused appointments or told to come back in a few weeks time.

Some patients even say they have been told to pick up vaccines at supermarkets including Tesco or at their local pharmacy.

It came as some hospitals were on "black alert" yesterday as figures showed the number of children under five seriously ill with the disease has doubled in a week. Black alert is an NHS hospital’s most severe status level.

Doctors have warned that services are being exhausted by the demand for treatment and the pressure on hospitals is "not sustainable". The problems are so severe in some areas that non-urgent operations have been cancelled.

[Eliza]

By STAFF REPORTER

Published: Today

THE number of people fighting for their lives in intensive care due to suspected flu has rocketed by more than 60 PER CENT in a week.
There are now 738 people receiving critical care across Britain compared with just 460 last Friday.

The stats from the Department of Health revealed 42 of those in intensive care are youngsters aged under five years old.

The rise comes a day after it was confirmed 39 people had died from the virus since October.

And yesterday Government advisers urged those who are most vulnerable to be vaccinated.

The Government has announced it is relaunching the Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign. That has attracted accusations of a u-turn from critics after Health Secretary Andrew Lansley defended the Government's initial decision not to run the campaign earlier this week.

Of the 39 deaths, 36 had swine flu and three had another strain, flu type B. All except one case were under 65 and four were under the age of five.

NHS pressure group Health Emergency said a number of hospitals in East Anglia were on black and red alert, meaning the NHS was struggling to cope as the outbreak worsened.

Chairman Geoff Martin said the James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth had declared a "black alert" yesterday - the most severe status level.

He added that the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital was on "red alert" - one step below black.

He said: "We warned that hospitals would be forced on to black alert as the flu cases fill the available beds - now it's happening and we do not believe that the chaos is restricted to East Anglia.

"The NHS is now on the brink of the worst winter crisis in over a decade as the harsh reality of cuts to beds and staffing numbers is exposed with lethal consequences."

[Eliza]

FLU ‘IS SET TO SWEEP NATION’


Jan 2 2011 by James McCarthy, Wales On Sunday

HUNDREDS of thousands of people in Wales face being struck down by deadly swine flu in the next few weeks.

Killer H1N1 – billed as “the new seasonal flu” by health chiefs and responsible for last winter’s pandemic – is expected to sweep the country until at least the end of January.

So far 58 patients have been left critically ill after contracting flu.

Dr Roland Salmon, director of Public Health Wales communicable disease surveillance centre, claimed “somewhere in the order of five to 10%” would be affected by the virus.

In Wales that could be as many as 300,000 people.

Dr Salmon said: “Swine flu has become the new seasonal flu.

“We are in the middle of the flu season and have been for a couple of weeks. If you speak to doctors in general practice and in hospitals they will tell you that it is making them pretty busy.

“Flu season always goes on for six to eight weeks. We are two or three weeks in so we have another four to six weeks to go.”

The health service has not seen so many people affected by flu for more than a decade.

Dr Salmon said: “Probably this reflects swine flu is the new seasonal flu and remains a newish virus and more people are able to catch it.

“We are still very keen to encourage people to come forward for vaccination.

“Anyone over 65 is eligible. And anyone less than 65 with some other serious condition is also eligible.”

Richard Allott and Lesley Hatton’s premature daughter Millie Louise – born weighing 2lbs 2oz on October 21 – spent Christmas in Swansea’s Singleton Hospital after contracting swine flu.

Richard, 41, catering manager at Aberystwyth University, said: “On Christmas Eve they said we should go to be with her because she might not make it through the day.

“By Christmas Day she was starting to get better. But it was a long day.”

He urged anyone feeling ill to get help “straight away.”

But so far the numbers of people getting vaccinated have been low.

Just 58.8% of the over-65s, 40.3% of those with chronic conditions and 6.5% of pregnant women have been immunised.

“People need to be aware there are treatments available,” Dr Salmon said, adding: “There is a good argument for anyone to get vaccinated if they want to.

“You could trudge down to Boots and they could probably give you a flu shot in exchange for £10 or £12.

“I’m not here to promote that, but there is quite a cogent argument that that is what you would pay for health insurance in other countries.

“Pretty much anyone would benefit from a flu shot.”

Wales’ most senior doctor, chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell, warned flu could lead to “severe health complications”.

He said: “It is really important that people who are in at-risk groups do get vaccinated.”

New figures show the number of patients calling their GP with flu has risen to 92.14 per 100,000 people – equivalent to more than 2,700 people. The real number sick is much higher.

According to UK figures 39 people have died so far – 36 from swine flu.

All but one case was under 65 and four were under five.

More deaths are set to follow.

An Assembly Government spokesperson said: “The number of people experiencing complications and severe illness, or sadly even death, will also rise.”

The Health Protection Agency urged anyone with flu symptoms to seek medical advice “as soon as possible.”

And the British Medical Association’s Dr Tony Calland said: “People can die and do die from influenza every year.

“The slightly different thing about swine flu is that it affects a slightly different group.

“It seems to be a problem for women who are pregnant, and sometimes a much younger group of children, particularly if they have other medical problems like asthma or chest or heart problems.”

Dr Calland warned all flu viruses were dangerous.

[Eliza]

Swine flu kills animal trainer on Harry Potter films


By Nick Mcdermott


Last updated at 2:14 AM on 3rd January 2011

'Extremely popular': Caroline Lois Benoist was 26

An animal trainer who worked on the Harry Potter films has become the latest swine flu victim.

Caroline Lois Benoist, 26, died on the Christmas weekend, only days after being sent home from her job at a film studio when she complained of feeling unwell

Writing to friends on her Facebook page on December 17, her final posting read: ‘Loving being back home even if I do feel like death warmed up!’. She died just over a week later.

From the home they shared in Hemel Hempstead her French boyfriend Guillaume Grange confirmed that doctors believe ‘fit and healthy’ Miss Benoist was a victim of swine flu. ‘She was sent home from work feeling unwell. She died last weekend.

I am finding it all very difficult,’ he said.
‘She was a lovely, fit healthy girl. She had no health problems. There was nothing wrong with her.’

Posting on Facebook, he wrote: ‘Thank you everybody for all this support. This [sic] messages warm up my heart. Goodbye Caroline, I will love you for ever!!!!’.

Originally from Guernsey, Miss Benoist had worked for Birds & Animals UK, which provides animal talent for films and TV, for the past seven years.

She was working at Leavesden Film Studios near Watford when she was sent home last month. During her time with the company, she worked on the Harry Potter franchise, as well as other big-budget productions.

[Eliza]

HSE rules out swine flu jab for all as virus resurfaces


By Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent


Monday January 03 2011

THE Health Service Executive (HSE) yesterday ruled out reopening free swine flu vaccination clinics for the entire population even though the number of people being struck by the virus is expected to continue to rise.

Dr Kevin Kelleher, head of health protection with the HSE, said yesterday the expert advice from its advisory committee was that the current seasonal flu vaccine be offered only to at-risk groups -- including pregnant women -- and not the entire population.

However, he told the Irish Independent that cases of flu were expected to continue to rise in the short term. He said the surge at this time of winter was similar to patterns in the spread of flu seen over the past decade and it was highly unlikely we would see an epidemic.

He was speaking as GPs reported being very busy with "out-of-hours" calls in the evening and over the weekend from patients with flu-like symptoms.

Confirmed cases of flu soared over Christmas, and since October there have been at least 36 people hospitalised, with five admitted to intensive care.

The rate at which GPs were consulted by patients with flu-like symptoms was 62.7 per 100,000 but it would need to reach 200 per 100,000 to be declared an epidemic.

Dr Kelleher said the advice remained that people in at-risk groups with underlying illnesses, pregnant women and the over 65s should avail of the seasonal flu vaccine that protects against all strains.

The HSE spent around €2.5m on 700,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine for this season -- in contrast to the €12.8m given to buy the swine flu vaccine last winter in advance of the pandemic.

Around 900,000 doses of surplus swine flu vaccine are still in storage after not being used last year when it was offered free to the entire population. Just one in four availed of the jab.

These doses are likely to remain unused now and will have to be destroyed when their expiry date is up in September.

The reopening of schools as well as the return of thousands of people to the workplace is likely to see a rise in flu-like illnesses.

Those worst affected so far are the under fives and young people -- although other strains are also circulating which are a danger to the elderly.

Complications

Dr Kelleher said he believed hospital intensive-care units were coping well with patients with complications from flu who were admitted in recent weeks.

Tens of thousands of schoolchildren received the swine flu vaccine last winter and many of these still have immunity.

The worst affected regions this year appear to be the east and south of the country, although the increased travelling by people over the Christmas and new year period means flu is likely to have spread to all areas.

A review is expected to be carried out in advance of next winter to determine if children under five should be routinely offered the seasonal flu vaccine given that swine flu, which mostly affects the young, is likely to be the predominant virus for years to come.

- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent

Irish Independent

[Eliza]

By EMMA MORTON, Health and Science Editor

Published: Today

A SHORTAGE of intensive care beds for children is set to get worse this week - just as swine flu spreads.
Cases are expected to soar as kids go back to school and the potentially lethal bug is passed around.

Just FIFTEEN of 320 beds are not being used in England's 28 paediatric critical care units. Sick youngsters on ventilators have had to travel up to 100 miles for specialist treatment.

Medics say the situation will worsen tomorrow as schools open after the festive holidays.

Children who have not been exposed to the flu virus are most at risk as they have very low immunity, unlike adults.

GPs have been reminded to tell moderately sick patients to stay at home to stop the bug spreading.

A Health Protection Agency source said: "We expect a significant rise in cases when children return to lessons.

"We urge parents to be alert to symptoms such as high temperature, nausea and cough." Dr Kevin Morris, president of the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, said: "Even with only five per cent bed capacity it squeaks by, but at the expense of people having to travel a long way for a bed.

"It is close to not coping. There are days when you ring around all the units and they are all full, and babies and children are having to travel."

Flu has killed 39 in Britain since October.

[Eliza]

Pharmacies 'refusing' to vaccinate children against swine flu
Parents who want to have their children vaccinated against swine flu are being turned away from High Street pharmacies amid confusion over rules, it has emerged.


By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor 7:30AM GMT 04 Jan 2011


Children who are otherwise healthy do not qualify for the flu jab on the NHS but parents have been told they can have the vaccination privately at pharmacies.

The Department of Health has said there is "nothing to stop" High Street pharmacies offering the vaccine to children on a private patient basis.

However pharmacies are saying they cannot vaccinate children because of healthcare regulations or because of their own company policies.

Experts are concerned that flu rates will surge as children go back to school this week and worried parents are trying to have their children vaccinated privately.

Flu rates are highest among the under fives and are still rising.

Sue Franklin, 36, took her youngest daughter Daisy, six, who has asthma, to be immunised at her local GP.

The full-time mother-of-three, from Malmesbury in Wiltshire, tried to get her two elder children, Olivia, 12, and Amy, 15, protected at the same time.

She said: "They told me there that pharmacies were giving jabs.

"But everywhere I tried they said they would give me a jab, but not the girls. As a mum you worry about the flu epidemic, especially as they all go back to school this week.

"I'm not expecting a jab for free, because they are rightly rationed on the NHS to those who need it most.

"There is simply nowhere for parents to take children for a jab. I'd willingly pay, but no one could tell me why children aren't allowed."

A spokeswoman from the Department of Health said those paying for a flu jab from a pharmacy were effectively "going private", so the Government had no control over it.

She said: "There are no restrictions on who pharmacies give vaccinations to in a private capacity. If they decide they don't want to do it, we cannot force them to do it.

"The vaccine sold at pharmacies is exactly the same as the one administered by the NHS. It is perfectly safe and given to children under the age of five.

"There is nothing to stop pharmacies from giving it to healthy children under the age of 16."

A Boots spokesman said: "In accordance with our registration with the Care Quality Commission, Boots can only offer patients aged 16 years and above a private flu vaccination."

The Sainsbury's website said the jab was not available for children under 18 but did not stipulate why.

The Tesco's website said the flu jab was available in selected stores but not for children under the age of 18, pregnant women or those breastfeeding. The site did not say if this was company policy or due to regulations.

A spokesman for Lloyds Pharmacy said: "It is our company policy not to offer seasonal flu vaccines to under 16s. Our pharmacists are only trained to administer them to adults."

The Care Quality Commission could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

[Eliza]

German tourist dies of swine flu in Austria

Agence France-Presse January 5, 2011

VIENNA - A German tourist infected with swine flu died on New Year's Day in the Austrian town of Saalbach near Salzburg, a health official said Wednesday.


The man, 24, was already sick before his arrival in Austria and was therefore part of a high-risk group, the regional health director for Salzburg, Christoph Koenig, told ORF public television.


The World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic over in August, more than a year after the H1N1 virus that emerged from Mexico sparked panic and killed thousands of people around the world before fizzling out.

[Eliza]

Swedish boy, 7, dies of swine flu

Agence France-Presse January 1, 2011

STOCKHOLM - A 7-year-old boy infected with the H1N1 virus has died marking Sweden's first death linked to swine flu this season, a health official was quoted as saying Saturday.


The boy was one of three patients being treated at different intensive-care units in the southern Swedish region of Scania for H1N1 and died Friday, said Per Hagstam of the Scania division of the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI).


"What (the three) had in common was that they all belonged to the risk group and had for instance other types of complicated illnessess," Hagstam told the local daily Helsingborgs Dagblad.


By Dec. 26, 65 people in Sweden were known to have contracted H1N1, which killed 30 Swedes during the last flu season, according to SMI.


The World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic over in August, more than a year after the virus that emerged from Mexico sparked panic and killed thousands of people around the world before fizzling out.

[Eliza]

BRITAIN'S flu death toll has hit 50 with 11 new fatalities last week, health chiefs said last night.


Today

The victims - 45 of them from swine flu - included healthy new mum Sarah Applin, 32.

As people rushed for jabs yesterday with stocks running low, the Government decided to bring in old vaccines from the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

Last night officials were quick to stress that the old vaccine called Pandemrix was safe to use.

They will send 12.7 million doses to surgeries.

Prime Minister David Cameron said it was "slightly different" to the current vaccine but that experts had assured him it still offered vital protection.

The news came as it was revealed Britain's flu death toll has hit 50 - 45 from swine flu - with 11 new deaths last week alone.

Fatalities
The latest fatalities, who had no underlying health problems, included a new mum in Suffolk and a Gulf War veteran in Warwickshire.

Jab supplies in the North West, North East and Home Counties in particular are running low.

Last night the decision to use old vaccine came in for criticism and the Government was slammed for bad advance planning.


Critics pointed out that the 2009 vaccine only immunises against swine flu and not this year's two other strains, influenza B and the less-common influenza A H3N2. The newer vaccine covers all three.


Shadow Health Secretary John Healey said: "I fear we're not over the worst of it because most of Britain has only returned to work or school this week. This Government has been slow to act at every stage."


Geoff Martin, chairman of the anti-cuts campaign group Health Emergency, said: "There's a real danger that people will think they are protected when they are not and that's down to the fact the Government has got this completely wrong."


Mr Cameron had said earlier: "There's a national stock of flu vaccine from the flu pandemic of 2009 and while it is slightly different it does have some of the common characteristics."


It also emerged last night the number of people in intensive care beds with flu had dropped from 851 earlier in the week to 783.

[Eliza]

TV talent show winner Olivia dies of swine flu

Submitted by Nimisha Sachdev on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 13:43


Children are the latest victims of the deadly swine flu. A talented teenage actress, Olivia Rae Clee-Barnett, 17 is one of them who died fighting the disease.

The inhabitant of Merseyside breathed her last on Sunday morning. She used to attend Wallasey School's sixth form in the Wirral.

The young girl had a lot of talent and passion for music and singing. She won the Sky Tv's Grease: The School Musical competition in 2009 along with her team.

Her friends were shocked to hear the news of her death and also made a Facebook page in her memory. While some have called her as a very loving young lady the others have talked about her smartness and genius in acting, singing, dancing and creative writing. But everyone on the page has talked how a good friend she was.

Meanwhile, at the hospitals beds for the swine flu patients have already been reserved.

[Eliza]

Scotland’s swine flu death toll on the rise



Advertising campaigns encouraging eligible patients to get the flu vaccine are being rerun.

Helen Puttick, Health Correspondent

7 Jan 2011

A further six people have died from flu in Scotland, more than doubling the toll in a week – and experts fear worse is to follow.

The surge in fatalities brings the number killed by the virus north of the Border this winter to 10. All but one of the victims was suffering from the swine flu strain of the virus and all but three were relatively young.

Health officials also revealed 38 people with swine flu were admitted to intensive care units last week, bringing the total to 61.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said, while she hoped she would be wrong, she was expecting the number of people suffering from flu to rise now schools and offices had reopened after Christmas.

She added: “We would expect in a flu season cases doubling every few days. That is not to say we will, but it is a potential scenario.”

Television and radio advertising campaigns encouraging eligible patients to get the flu vaccine are being rerun.

Across the UK there have now been 50 deaths from flu since the cold weather began. While this suggests the mortality rate in Scotland is high, the Scottish Government said this may be due to better reporting systems.

Generally the number of people turning to their GP with flu symptoms has been much higher in England. Hospitals there have been told to cancel operations to make room for the most seriously ill and one patient from south of the Border is being treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary – one of seven centres in the UK to have a special machine that pumps oxygen into the blood when the heart or lungs are not working properly.

Figures released yesterday showed a slight fall in GP consultations about flu, from 55.8 per 100,000 people to 52 per 100,000 people in Scotland. However, Ms Sturgeon warned the data was not entirely reliable because it included the Christmas and New Year bank holidays when GP surgeries were shut. Helpline NHS 24, which remained open throughout the period, yesterday announced record numbers of phone calls.

In the 12 days from Christmas Eve to Wednesday, January 5, NHS 24 staff dealt with 107,193 calls, which was an increase of approximately 25% on the same period last year.

Ms Sturgeon stressed the level of flu circulating was no higher than expected in a typical winter. However, young people appear to be more vulnerable to swine flu, known as H1N1, than the more familiar seasonal virus. This may be because older people were exposed to a similar strain in the 1950s and carry some immunity.

Out of the 10 Scottish patients who have died, seven were in the 15 to 64 age group and three were over 65.

To date five children under the age of five have needed intensive care treatment in Scotland along with 40 adults of working age. UK-wide, five under-5s have died as well as eight children aged five to 14.

The number of eligible patients who have taken up the offer of a vaccine has continued to rise. Almost one-third of healthy pregnant women are now protected in Scotland, a rapid improvement, although efforts to reach more are continuing.

Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harry Burns, moved to quell any rumours circulating about the safety of the flu vaccine saying he had looked for evidence himself that it caused a neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome and found it protected against it instead.

Dr Burns said: “Tens of millions of people are given the flu vaccine every year. It is incredibly safe. You cannot get flu from the vaccine. There is no live virus in the vaccine.

“What it does is provoke an immune reaction which can cause a wee bit of soreness around the injection site, and that’s it. But if you get the flu you’ll know all about it. It’s a very nasty infection, it really knocks you sideways, and this vaccine stops you getting the flu so it makes sense.”