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3 more die from swine flu in Michigan; diabetics urged to get vaccine
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
Three more Michigan residents have died from swine flu, state officials said Monday, as they stressed that people with diabetes should get the H1N1 vaccine.
The death toll since the virus broke out in April has climbed to 41, with white males aged 45-64 with an underlying health condition forming the average profile of the deceased.
Diabetes was a health condition in nine of the 39 deaths that the state has investigated so far.
"People with diabetes should get the vaccine as soon as it is available," said Gregory Holzman, state Chief Medical Executive, who stressed last week that asthmatics should get the vaccine.
Holzman emphasized that the vaccine is scarce -- more than 1.5 million doses have been allocated to the state, which is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the state would have by mid-October. But people, especially those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, should not stop trying to find the vaccine, either at their health provider's office or local health department.
Each day more and more vaccine is coming in to the state," Holzman said. "We are telling people not to give up because it is important for them to get the vaccine for their health."
Though some states are plateauing in H1N1 activity, the upper Midwest continues to be a hot spot for swine flu, including Michigan, according to Eden Wells, a state epidemiologist.
Last week, 38,158 cases of flu-like activity were reported across the state. Since Sept. 1, 1,226 people have been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms -- a 35 percent increase over last week, when 801 cases were reported.
However as of Monday, no schools were closed because of swine flu, but 559 had reopened.
Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
Three more Michigan residents have died from swine flu, state officials said Monday, as they stressed that people with diabetes should get the H1N1 vaccine.
The death toll since the virus broke out in April has climbed to 41, with white males aged 45-64 with an underlying health condition forming the average profile of the deceased.
Diabetes was a health condition in nine of the 39 deaths that the state has investigated so far.
"People with diabetes should get the vaccine as soon as it is available," said Gregory Holzman, state Chief Medical Executive, who stressed last week that asthmatics should get the vaccine.
Holzman emphasized that the vaccine is scarce -- more than 1.5 million doses have been allocated to the state, which is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the state would have by mid-October. But people, especially those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, should not stop trying to find the vaccine, either at their health provider's office or local health department.
Each day more and more vaccine is coming in to the state," Holzman said. "We are telling people not to give up because it is important for them to get the vaccine for their health."
Though some states are plateauing in H1N1 activity, the upper Midwest continues to be a hot spot for swine flu, including Michigan, according to Eden Wells, a state epidemiologist.
Last week, 38,158 cases of flu-like activity were reported across the state. Since Sept. 1, 1,226 people have been hospitalized with flu-like symptoms -- a 35 percent increase over last week, when 801 cases were reported.
However as of Monday, no schools were closed because of swine flu, but 559 had reopened.
