From WCCO:
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_044153407.html
Feb 13, 2007 5:03 pm US/Central
Firefighter, Child Die Of Flu Complications
(WCCO) Minneapolis An 8-year-old from the Duluth area and a 44-year-old Minneapolis firefighter have become the fourth and fifth people in Minnesota to die as a result of the flu this season...
He died about 8:30 Tuesday morning. Interim Fire Chief Jim Clack said DeLude had been hospitalized for several days...
Both victims had the A/H1 strain of influenza, which Ehresmann said is the most common going around this year and is covered by current stock of flu vaccine.
Earlier this month, an 8-year-old and a 17-month-old also died of complications due to the flu, that following an 8-year-old Ramsey County boy's death in January.
More schools are reporting flu outbreaks than last year; 224 so far this season, compared with 199 during the entire flu season of 2005-2006.
"This is a reminder that influenza is a serious disease, and we're taking it very seriously," Ehresmann said. "We've had several years of mild flu, and there is a possibility that there has been complacency."
Last week, the health department said influenza is widespread throughout the state right now, but it hasn't reached its peak.
?It's never too late to be vaccinated ... we're seeing an increasing number of reports of illness in schools, in the community. So clearly, we have not peaked yet in terms of the flu season. It's ongoing,? said Kris Ehresmann of the Minnesota Department of Health.
She said there's no initial indication of a strain more serious than A/H1, but she said the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta will be testing samples from the Minnesota victims for further data.
News of the second and third deaths last week prompted a surge in demand for flu vaccinations, and Ehresmann said many state providers are close to exhausting their current stocks. But she said there is still plenty of vaccine available nationally and that fresh supplies are on the way to Minnesota.
Health clinics around the state have set up special immunization clinics, some offering free flu shots to children...
(? 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. )
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_044153407.html
Feb 13, 2007 5:03 pm US/Central
Firefighter, Child Die Of Flu Complications
(WCCO) Minneapolis An 8-year-old from the Duluth area and a 44-year-old Minneapolis firefighter have become the fourth and fifth people in Minnesota to die as a result of the flu this season...
He died about 8:30 Tuesday morning. Interim Fire Chief Jim Clack said DeLude had been hospitalized for several days...
Both victims had the A/H1 strain of influenza, which Ehresmann said is the most common going around this year and is covered by current stock of flu vaccine.
Earlier this month, an 8-year-old and a 17-month-old also died of complications due to the flu, that following an 8-year-old Ramsey County boy's death in January.
More schools are reporting flu outbreaks than last year; 224 so far this season, compared with 199 during the entire flu season of 2005-2006.
"This is a reminder that influenza is a serious disease, and we're taking it very seriously," Ehresmann said. "We've had several years of mild flu, and there is a possibility that there has been complacency."
Last week, the health department said influenza is widespread throughout the state right now, but it hasn't reached its peak.
?It's never too late to be vaccinated ... we're seeing an increasing number of reports of illness in schools, in the community. So clearly, we have not peaked yet in terms of the flu season. It's ongoing,? said Kris Ehresmann of the Minnesota Department of Health.
She said there's no initial indication of a strain more serious than A/H1, but she said the federal Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta will be testing samples from the Minnesota victims for further data.
News of the second and third deaths last week prompted a surge in demand for flu vaccinations, and Ehresmann said many state providers are close to exhausting their current stocks. But she said there is still plenty of vaccine available nationally and that fresh supplies are on the way to Minnesota.
Health clinics around the state have set up special immunization clinics, some offering free flu shots to children...
(? 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. )