- DENVER (Reuters) - The flu
season is hitting the Western United States hard and Colorado is seeing
the worst outbreak in the country with authorities on Monday confirming
eight children have now died in the state since the season began last month.
-
- At The Children's Hospital in Denver five to 10 children
are being admitted every day with the flu and ten times that many are treated
and released.
-
- "This is the worst outbreak I've seen in 30 years,"
Dr. James Todd, director of epidemiology at The Children's Hospital, said
on Monday.
-
- Eight children have died in the state over the last three
weeks and another death of a child is suspected to be flu-related, state
health department officials said on Monday. Usually one or two children
die every year in Colorado from the flu. So far 6,306 Colorado residents
have been diagnosed with the flu.
-
- Other states have also been hard hit.
-
- Flu activity in Texas has been categorized as "widespread,"
the highest level of classification, for seven straight weeks and is likely
to stay that way, Texas Health Department spokesman Doug McBride said.
-
- News reports say several Texans have died from the flu,
but McBride said the state has no numbers.
-
- The San Antonio Express reported on Saturday that Wilford
Hall Medical Center on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio blamed influenza
for the recent deaths of two children and one elderly woman.
-
- The flu has also been labeled "widespread"
in Washington with virtually all areas of the state hit and 104 schools
from 19 counties blaming higher absenteeism on flu-like illnesses.
-
- Each year about 36,000 people die from the flu in the
United States, but this year the season started early. News that children
in Colorado died from the flu and that two big flu vaccine makers said
their entire production had already been sold to hospitals and other providers
sent shockwaves through the country.
-
- Even a severe snowstorm in the eastern United States
could not stop intrepid vaccination seekers.
-
- "We had 355 people come on Friday in blizzard conditions,"
Kristin Winbigler, director of emergency services at Stamford Hospital
in Stamford, Connecticut, said. "On Saturday between 9 a.m. and noon
we had 233 people," she said.
-
- "People just became concerned. They heard about
Colorado and about flu suppliers. I'm afraid I'm going to run out next
month," Winbigler said.
-
- Children have smaller trachea and bronchi making it harder
to fight the flu. They are also more vulnerable because they might wash
their hands less often than adults and are in contact with other children
either in the classroom or the playground.
-
- In a typical year, 70 million to 75 million Americans
receive a flu shot. This year manufacturers produced about 83 million doses
of flu vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
-
- Colorado officials last week said infants six to 23 months,
people over 65 and anybody with an underlying medical problem such as children
with asthma should get the vaccination first. But the state does not have
the authority to order how the shots are dispensed.
-
- Texas health department officials also recommended the
vaccinations be targeted to the highest risk groups, the elderly and the
young. (Additional reporting by Jeff Franks in Houston and Chris Stetkiewicz
in Seattle)
-
- Copyright © 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
|
