LittleLightShining
10-30-2009, 01:44 AM
Take special notice of the pains they take not to give any demographic information here:
State has first swine flu death
800 doses of swine flu vaccine were destroyed (http://www.timesargus.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290373/1002/NEWS01)
BURLINGTON – Vermont has experienced its first death linked to the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, state health officials said Wednesday.
Health Commissioner Wendy Davis declined to identify the victim other than to say the person was an adult with "a serious medical condition" in addition to the influenza. She would not say where the victim lived, identify the region of the state, or disclose the exact date of the death.
The commissioner said she was being careful in releasing only relevant information to the public out of respect for the victim's family. Davis said she would continue that policy in future cases, as well.
While Davis acknowledged that news of a Vermont death might be unsettling to the public, she cautioned that it was not unexpected and did not signal a change in the severity of the virus. In fact, she reminded reporters at a Burlington news conference, she has been warning from the beginning that the number of cases would climb and the state would in all likelihood experience deaths as a result of the disease.
"It is not a mark that the virus is changing at this point in time," Davis said.
About 36,000 Americans die from seasonal flu annually, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. To date, more than 1,000 people have died of complications from swine flu and about 20,000 have been hospitalized, the CDC is reporting.
"It's not at all unexpected," Davis
Davis said of Vermont's death. And while expressing sympathy for the family, she added, "It is something we knew we would experience. I anticipate there will be more."
She pointed out that the victim was in a high-risk group, specifically adults with other medical conditions. Other high-risk groups include young children, young adults and pregnant women.
David said that in the past week there has been a "dramatic" increase in the number of swine flu cases reported around the state, as well as visits to hospitals by people experiencing influenza-like symptoms. Schools across Vermont are reporting high absenteeism – one, Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, closed — and college campuses are seeing an increase in suspected cases, she said.
Davis said her office was notified earlier this week by telephone from a health care provider about the death, which occurred sometime in the past week.
She said most cases, however, have been relatively mild, with people recovering well after staying home and taking care of themselves as they would with any seasonal flu.
"Most people will not need to see the health care provider," Davis said.
The commissioner, who has been speaking regularly about the need for vaccine in Vermont and the urgency of vaccination clinics for at-risk Vermonters, said Wednesday that about 800 doses of the vaccine were inadvertently destroyed over the weekend when a refrigeration unit at a district office malfunctioned and the temperature dropped too low.
"It is treasured," she said of the vaccine. "This loss was extremely concerning to all of us at the Health Department."
Davis said the department is taking measures to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
"We need to look at every aspect of that storage chain," Davis said. She said the department will prepare to transport vaccine between regions if future problems develop, and might implement a "rigorous, off-hours monitoring" system for the refrigerators.
She said those 800 doses would have provided enough vaccine for about two or three "good sized" school clinics.
Unfortunately, the vaccine has been coming into Vermont so slowly that some school clinics, including one planned for U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier on Friday, have been postponed. The clinic schedule will be maintained as planned in future weeks, with the postponed clinics fitted into available time slots in the order they were initially planned.
Davis said 15 clinics were held in schools by the end of the day Wednesday, and 27 are expected by the end of the week. More than 10,500 doses had been administered as of Saturday, said Patsy Kelso, state epidemiologist. More than 38,100 doses have been received and distributed, Davis added.
"We know how hard it is to wait for vaccine, and we are getting it out as soon as possible," Davis said.
State has first swine flu death
800 doses of swine flu vaccine were destroyed (http://www.timesargus.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290373/1002/NEWS01)
BURLINGTON – Vermont has experienced its first death linked to the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, state health officials said Wednesday.
Health Commissioner Wendy Davis declined to identify the victim other than to say the person was an adult with "a serious medical condition" in addition to the influenza. She would not say where the victim lived, identify the region of the state, or disclose the exact date of the death.
The commissioner said she was being careful in releasing only relevant information to the public out of respect for the victim's family. Davis said she would continue that policy in future cases, as well.
While Davis acknowledged that news of a Vermont death might be unsettling to the public, she cautioned that it was not unexpected and did not signal a change in the severity of the virus. In fact, she reminded reporters at a Burlington news conference, she has been warning from the beginning that the number of cases would climb and the state would in all likelihood experience deaths as a result of the disease.
"It is not a mark that the virus is changing at this point in time," Davis said.
About 36,000 Americans die from seasonal flu annually, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. To date, more than 1,000 people have died of complications from swine flu and about 20,000 have been hospitalized, the CDC is reporting.
"It's not at all unexpected," Davis
Davis said of Vermont's death. And while expressing sympathy for the family, she added, "It is something we knew we would experience. I anticipate there will be more."
She pointed out that the victim was in a high-risk group, specifically adults with other medical conditions. Other high-risk groups include young children, young adults and pregnant women.
David said that in the past week there has been a "dramatic" increase in the number of swine flu cases reported around the state, as well as visits to hospitals by people experiencing influenza-like symptoms. Schools across Vermont are reporting high absenteeism – one, Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, closed — and college campuses are seeing an increase in suspected cases, she said.
Davis said her office was notified earlier this week by telephone from a health care provider about the death, which occurred sometime in the past week.
She said most cases, however, have been relatively mild, with people recovering well after staying home and taking care of themselves as they would with any seasonal flu.
"Most people will not need to see the health care provider," Davis said.
The commissioner, who has been speaking regularly about the need for vaccine in Vermont and the urgency of vaccination clinics for at-risk Vermonters, said Wednesday that about 800 doses of the vaccine were inadvertently destroyed over the weekend when a refrigeration unit at a district office malfunctioned and the temperature dropped too low.
"It is treasured," she said of the vaccine. "This loss was extremely concerning to all of us at the Health Department."
Davis said the department is taking measures to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
"We need to look at every aspect of that storage chain," Davis said. She said the department will prepare to transport vaccine between regions if future problems develop, and might implement a "rigorous, off-hours monitoring" system for the refrigerators.
She said those 800 doses would have provided enough vaccine for about two or three "good sized" school clinics.
Unfortunately, the vaccine has been coming into Vermont so slowly that some school clinics, including one planned for U-32 Middle and High School in East Montpelier on Friday, have been postponed. The clinic schedule will be maintained as planned in future weeks, with the postponed clinics fitted into available time slots in the order they were initially planned.
Davis said 15 clinics were held in schools by the end of the day Wednesday, and 27 are expected by the end of the week. More than 10,500 doses had been administered as of Saturday, said Patsy Kelso, state epidemiologist. More than 38,100 doses have been received and distributed, Davis added.
"We know how hard it is to wait for vaccine, and we are getting it out as soon as possible," Davis said.