tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Official figures show there were at least 562 deaths linked to the H1N1 virus during the most recent “season” compared with 474 in the global outbreak of 2009.
The young and the middle-aged bore the burnt of the cases with 50 children and nine pregnant women dying across the country, according to the Health Protection Agency.
It came after GPs in some areas struggled to access sufficient vaccines, prompting the Government to raid a stockpile from the previous year while hospitals were forced to cancel planned operations in order to care for critically ill flu patients.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of the recent problems, the Department of Health now hopes to vaccinate far more people including frontline doctors and nurses as well as at-risk groups such as pregnant women and those with long-term diseases. It will also hold a central reserve of jabs and may centralise supply in future years.
Prof John Watson, head of the watchdog’s respiratory diseases department, said: “The information published in our annual flu report confirms that seasonal flu activity in 2010/11 was higher than last winter and that H1N1 ‘swine’ flu was the dominant strain. Sadly, a small proportion of flu cases resulted in serious illness and death, predominantly in young and middle aged adults.
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Published on Wednesday, the HPA’s report on the most recent season - between September 1st, 2010, and May 4th, 2011 - shows there were 602 fatal influenza cases across Britain while a further 91 probable cases are still under investigation to confirm the cause of death.
The highest regional concentrations of deaths were in the north west of England (96), Yorkshire and the Humber (83) and Scotland (63).
More than 90 per cent of the fatalities, according to data obtained from death certificates, were linked to the H1N1strain but 40 were among those who had the Influenza B infection, leaving at least 562 deaths in those who had swine flu.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...-deaths-last-winter-than-during-pandemic.html
The young and the middle-aged bore the burnt of the cases with 50 children and nine pregnant women dying across the country, according to the Health Protection Agency.
It came after GPs in some areas struggled to access sufficient vaccines, prompting the Government to raid a stockpile from the previous year while hospitals were forced to cancel planned operations in order to care for critically ill flu patients.
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of the recent problems, the Department of Health now hopes to vaccinate far more people including frontline doctors and nurses as well as at-risk groups such as pregnant women and those with long-term diseases. It will also hold a central reserve of jabs and may centralise supply in future years.
Prof John Watson, head of the watchdog’s respiratory diseases department, said: “The information published in our annual flu report confirms that seasonal flu activity in 2010/11 was higher than last winter and that H1N1 ‘swine’ flu was the dominant strain. Sadly, a small proportion of flu cases resulted in serious illness and death, predominantly in young and middle aged adults.
..
Published on Wednesday, the HPA’s report on the most recent season - between September 1st, 2010, and May 4th, 2011 - shows there were 602 fatal influenza cases across Britain while a further 91 probable cases are still under investigation to confirm the cause of death.
The highest regional concentrations of deaths were in the north west of England (96), Yorkshire and the Humber (83) and Scotland (63).
More than 90 per cent of the fatalities, according to data obtained from death certificates, were linked to the H1N1strain but 40 were among those who had the Influenza B infection, leaving at least 562 deaths in those who had swine flu.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...-deaths-last-winter-than-during-pandemic.html