Pandemic: Eighteen people hospitalized this week with influenza, health official confirms

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Brett Bundale
Telegraph-Journal

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FREDERICTON - The number of people hospitalized with H1N1 influenza has shot up in New Brunswick as the second wave of the flu spreads.

This week, 18 people have been hospitalized with the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu, bringing the total to 23 since the pandemic began in April.

With supplies of vaccine dwindling and many flu clinics shutting their doors, Dr. Eilish Cleary, the province's chief medical health officer, said Wednesday H1N1 is widespread in the province.

"Over the last couple of weeks we have had several hundred lab-confirmed cases," she said. "And for every lab-confirmed case, many more people have had symptoms "¦ We would expect there to be at least a couple thousand cases of H1N1 in the province."

About 120,000 people have been vaccinated in New Brunswick so far. But many people in high-priority groups, which include children aged six months to 18 years, pregnant women, parents of infants under six months old and people of aboriginal ancestry, are still waiting for the flu shot.

However, the province has received 4,500 doses of unadjuvanted vaccine, designed specifically for pregnant women. The vaccine has been shipped to the regional health authorities and will be available to all pregnant women starting today.

An additional shipment of 11,000 regular vaccine shots will be made available to high priority groups today. But Cleary warned that more clinic cancellations could be in the cards as supply runs out.

"The supplies we planned for are not the supplies we have now so we'll be updating and cancelling clinics," Cleary said. "It depends how quickly we go through the vaccine."

Although the next shipment should arrive sometime mid next week, details of how much New Brunswick will receive or when it will arrive remain sketchy.

Premier Shawn Graham said he is concerned with disruption in the production of the vaccine, which has slowed its rollout in the province.

But he added that it's encouraging that 20 per cent of New Brunswickers have already been vaccinated.

"If you look at other provinces and territories that's the highest percentage of almost any jurisdiction," Graham said.

Health officials are currently developing a more "targeted and accessible" plan to reach those with chronic medical conditions - currently not part of the high-priority group and as such asked not to attend clinics.

Although New Brunswick has had no fatal cases of H1N1 influenza, the devastating deaths of a handful of otherwise-healthy children since April have made parents across the country anxious.

For two weeks, parents have queued in long lines at clinics across the province, sometimes waiting hours to have their children vaccinated - or even being turned away as vaccine runs out.

While schools in the province have seen high levels of absenteeism - with five schools in St. Stephen and St. George closing last week because of flu symptoms - Cleary said there is no reason to panic.

"We're encouraging people to continue with normal activities, like Halloween last weekend or Christmas celebrations in the coming weeks," she said. "If your kids get sick the best medicine is always to stay home and rest."

Of the 18 people hospitalized with swine flu this week, six are less than ten years old, seven are between ten and twenty, three are 20 and 29 years old and two people were 30 years or older. None have required intensive care and many have been discharged or have recovered, Cleary said.