Yukon confirms 2nd swine flu death

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Yukon confirms 2nd swine flu death

Otherwise healthy patient had not been vaccinated

Last Updated: Friday, November 20, 2009 | 5:04 PM CT

CBC News

Yukon medical officer Dr. Brendan Hanley said a woman who died Thursday of swine flu was otherwise healthy. (CBC)

A middle-aged woman in the Yukon has died of swine flu, the territory's top health official confirmed to CBC News.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon's medical officer of health, released little information about the woman, who died Thursday afternoon at Whitehorse General Hospital.

Hanley said she was under the age of 50 and was otherwise in good health. She had not been vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza virus, he added.

Hanley said it is important to note that even healthy adults can be vulnerable to serious effects from the flu.

The woman's name was not released. Hanley said he will provide more information about her death early next week.

The Yukon recorded its first H1N1-related death earlier this month, when a school-age girl died of complications related to the virus. Hanley has said the girl had underlying medical conditions.

More than 17,000 Yukoners, or about half of the population, had received the flu vaccine as of the end of last week.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/11/20/yukon-h1n1-death.html

 

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Re: Yukon confirms 2nd swine flu death

Yukon, Nunavik? two different swine fu experiences

Northern Quebec has had no deaths due to H1N1, but in Yukon a woman recently died, the second death in that territory.

Publisert: 23.11.09 10:45

A middle-aged woman in the Yukon has died of swine flu, the territory's top health official confirmed to CBC News.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, the Yukon's medical officer of health, released little information about the woman, who died Thursday afternoon at Whitehorse General Hospital.

Hanley said she was under the age of 50 and was otherwise in good health. She had not been vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza virus, he added.

Hanley said it is important to note that even healthy adults can be vulnerable to serious effects from the flu.

The Yukon recorded its first H1N1-related death earlier this month, when a school-age girl died of complications related to the virus. Hanley has said the girl had underlying medical conditions.

More than 17,000 Yukoners, or about half of the population, had received the flu vaccine as of the end of last week.

When all the figures are tallied, Nunavik will have achieved one of the highest swine flu vaccination rates in Canada, reports nunatsiaqonline.ca.

Dr. Serge D?ry, Nunavik?s director of public health, said that since early November, about 75 per cent of the region?s residents have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

This means it?s unlikely that Nunavik will see more lab-confirmed cases of swine flu.

?I think we?ve been successful in convincing the region?s population that the benefits of getting the vaccine were much more important than any possible risks,? said D?ry. ?We don?t know yet if we?ll have a third wave, but having a good coverage rate [for vaccinations] will help stop transmission.?

Since the second wave of the swine flu virus hit Nunavik in early September, there have been 18 confirmed cases across Nunavik ? and no deaths.

The infection rates expected at the beginning of the swine flu outbreak never materialized, and D?ry now says the virus is ?probably not as bad as we once thought.?

?We?ve been lucky to get the vaccine so soon,? D?ry said. ?Even if the virus hasn?t hit its peak, we can say that the majority of the population is already protected.?

The goal: the 80 per cent vaccination rate required to stop the virus from travelling freely.

In some Nunavik communities, the vaccination coverage rate reached as high as 95 per cent, D?ry said, while others reported less than 60 per cent.

Residents who missed the mass immunization clinic in early November can still contact their local clinic for a shot. About 9,700 doses of the swine flu vaccine have been sent to Nunavik so far, while another 500 are expected to land in the region this week.

http://www.sikunews.com/art.html?artid=7280&catid=26