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Thousands of children may have had swine flu without even knowing
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:32 PM on 24th November 2009
In parts of England up to a third of school-age children have had the virus, but fewer than one in ten have actually been ill, according to analysis by the HPA (Posed by model)
Thousands of children may have had swine flu without even knowing it, experts said yesterday.
In infection hot-spots such as London and the West Midlands, up to a third of schoolchildren have had the virus, but fewer than one in ten have actually been ill, according to figures from the Health Protection Agency.
Professor Maria Zambon, director of the HPA's centre for infections, said:
'When we actually put together all the different pieces of information it suggests that up to a third of children in particular regions of England were infected in the first wave.'
She said across the UK this fell to an
average of around 15 to 20 per cent of under-15s.
The HPA is currently reviewing the number of people across the UK who may have had the virus. Previous estimates suggest a million people have been affected.
According to the figures, between 5 and 10 per cent of people with flu symptoms will seek medical help, rising to between 30 per cent and 50 per cent in the course of a pandemic.
Professor John Watson, head of the agency's respiratory diseases department, said at least half of those with swine flu would have had no symptoms.
However, the rates of complications experienced in some groups, including the under-fives, were high.
Prof Zambon admitted the pandemic had not been as serious as had been predicted in planning documents.
'We have not got the pandemic we planned for,' she said. 'One way of describing it is we have been lobbed a softball.'
She added: 'We should really focus on all the positives. We have been able to make a vaccine; we have been able to roll out the vaccine in a concerted and efficient manner. I think there's a lot of positives about this.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1230567/Thousands-children-swine-flu-knowing-it.html#ixzz0XuSYB0Pn
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:32 PM on 24th November 2009
In parts of England up to a third of school-age children have had the virus, but fewer than one in ten have actually been ill, according to analysis by the HPA (Posed by model)
Thousands of children may have had swine flu without even knowing it, experts said yesterday.
In infection hot-spots such as London and the West Midlands, up to a third of schoolchildren have had the virus, but fewer than one in ten have actually been ill, according to figures from the Health Protection Agency.
Professor Maria Zambon, director of the HPA's centre for infections, said:
'When we actually put together all the different pieces of information it suggests that up to a third of children in particular regions of England were infected in the first wave.'
She said across the UK this fell to an
average of around 15 to 20 per cent of under-15s.
The HPA is currently reviewing the number of people across the UK who may have had the virus. Previous estimates suggest a million people have been affected.
According to the figures, between 5 and 10 per cent of people with flu symptoms will seek medical help, rising to between 30 per cent and 50 per cent in the course of a pandemic.
Professor John Watson, head of the agency's respiratory diseases department, said at least half of those with swine flu would have had no symptoms.
However, the rates of complications experienced in some groups, including the under-fives, were high.
Prof Zambon admitted the pandemic had not been as serious as had been predicted in planning documents.
'We have not got the pandemic we planned for,' she said. 'One way of describing it is we have been lobbed a softball.'
She added: 'We should really focus on all the positives. We have been able to make a vaccine; we have been able to roll out the vaccine in a concerted and efficient manner. I think there's a lot of positives about this.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1230567/Thousands-children-swine-flu-knowing-it.html#ixzz0XuSYB0Pn