Genesee County child dies from H1N1
A school-age child has died of a lab-confirmed case of H1N1 flu in Genesee County, that county’s health department announced today.
No other swine flu-related deaths have been reported in the Rochester area. Randolph Garney, interim public health director in Genesee County, said no other details about the local victim would be released because of medical privacy rules.
Nationally, H1N1 flu has killed at least 114 children since the first outbreak in April, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a typical seasonal flu season, 40 to 50 child deaths are linked to flu.
Comparable numbers of H1N1 deaths among adults are not available because there are not the same testing and reporting requirements for adult cases.
Thousands of people have been hospitalized with lab-confirmed cases of H1N1 and more than 500 H1N1 deaths reported across the country, but those are likely underestimating the totals, federal health officials have said. They have estimated that 36,000 deaths each year are related to seasonal flu.
Health officials won’t specify whether victims have underlying health conditions or which school a child attended because those facts could allow people to deduce the family’s identity. There is also no public health benefit to sharing such information and because such details cause irrational fears and behavior, said Mary Beer, Ontario County public health director.
Regardless of the specifics of any case, the advice to the public about prevention and precautions is the same.
Garney echoed the advice of state and federal health officials in encouraging those at risk of serious complications from flu to get vaccine as it becomes available and to take precautions such as frequent hand washing to reduce the spread of the virus. The H1N1 vaccine supply has been limited so far because of slower-than-anticipated production.
Genesee County is holding an H1N1 vaccination clinic from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, which will end early if the hundreds of doses run out, at county Building 2, 3837 W. Main St., Batavia. Genesee County is holding a walk-in vaccination clinic for both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, which will end early if the hundreds of doses run out, at county Building 2, 3837 W. Main St., Batavia.
Details about who’s eligible are listed online, www.co.genesee.ny.us/dpt/publichealth/H1N1fluclinic1105.pdf. For questions call (585) 344-2580, ext. 5000.
The H1N1 flu is considered widespread in 48 states, including New York. Nationwide, calls and visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness continue to increase steeply and are at a higher level than the peak of many seasonal flu seasons. Hospitalization rates continue to be highest among young people. The highest hospitalization rate reported in children age 4 and under.
For more information about H1N1 flu, see www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu. You can also see the chart below to compare the symptoms of the flu with other illnesses.
CSWINGLE@DemocratandChronicle.com
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