Article Date: Friday 19 03 10 17:47:09
Article Source: BBC NEWS | Fergus On Flu
Main Article Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/ferguswalsh/2010/03/swine_flu_vaccine_uptake_figures.html
Is there anyone out there still interested in swine flu?
Clearly the H1N1 virus has had its day in terms of being a big news story. Barring a sudden resurgence next autumn or some unusual mutation, we can be thankful that the first pandemic of the 21st Century was as mild as could be hoped.
But in the interest of dotting a few i's and crossing some t's, I offer the following:
The Department of Health has released swine flu vaccine uptake figures for England. 37% of those in at-risk groups (asthma, heart disease, pregnant women etc) were immunised while 20% of healthy children under 5 received the swine flu jab. 40% of front line healthcare workers have also been immunised.
The Department of Health has said anyone travelling to the Southern Hemisphere, including the World Cup in South Africa, should be vaccinated to prevent them from catching the virus and bringing it back. The flu season will be in full swing in South Africa during the tournament.
Despite it still being flu season here, there is very little swine flu about. Latest figures for England suggest the number of new cases in the last week is below 5,000 where it has been for the last 12 weeks. There are 65 patients in hospital, 14 of them in critical care.
The death toll from the H1N1 virus now stands at 457 in the UK since the outbreak began almost a year ago. Probably several million Britons have had swine flu and most will have had either no symptoms or a mild illness.
Useful resources:
• Detailed UK weekly epidemiology update
• Swine flu figures for Northern Ireland
• Swine flu figures for Scotland
• Swine flu figures for Wales |