H1N1 Swine Flu Update As of November 9, 2009 — Vaccine Remains In Short Supply As Child Deaths And Hospitalizations Continue to Rise From H1N1 Swine Flu
During the past week, the CDC reported 15 laboratory confirmed child dates from the H1N1 swine and 3 undifferentiated H1N1 child flu deaths. This continues the trend of an increasing number of child deaths from the H1N1 swine flu with each new week. This brings the total of child deaths in the U.S. from the H1N1 swine flu to 145 – with 80 of those having occurred since school began this fall (i.e. since August 30, 2009). Over 99 percent of influenza type-A flu reported to the CDC has been identfied as the H1N1 swine flu, continuing the trend of essentially all flu cases thus far this flu season being the H1N1 swine flu. Also, both the number of hospitalizations and deaths from the H1N1 swine flu continues to rise. Originally, the CDC had hoped to have 140 million does of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine available by the middle of October. In contrast, by the middle of October only 14 million doses had been shipped and by November 6, 2009, only 26,248,100 does had been shipped. Many individuals, especially in New York City, have begun to protest as large corporations such as Goldman Sachs have received supplies of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine while local health departments and schools have yet to receive supplies of the vaccine to even administer to the highest risk. The U.S. experience where it seems that influence and politics determines who gets the swine flu vaccine contrasts with the experience of European countries where the government has a list of high-risk individuals and is administering vaccines to only high risk individuals. For this reason, while there is often a sense of panic and long lines for individuals to even attempt to get the vaccine in the U.S., with many in the line ultimately turned away for lack of vaccine supply, there are no lines and no panic in the European countries.
