Nov. 4--Virginia deaths from H1N1 swine flu have risen to 17, according to the state Health Department, as the demand for flu vaccine continues to outpace supply in many places.
The most recent deaths include a female child from the Central Shenandoah Health District; two adult females, one from the Loudoun Health District in Northern Virginia and one from the Charlottesville-area Thomas Jefferson Health District; and an adult male from the Mount Rogers Health District in Southwest Virginia.
All had underlying health conditions except for the adult male, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
In all statewide, deaths blamed on swine flu include 11 females and six males. Three of the deaths have been of children. Fifteen of the 17 people who have died had underlying health conditions.
The H1N1 swine flu is an influenza strain not seen in humans until this year. Though it's causing relatively mild illness for most who get it, health officials fear it could mutate and cause more severe illness.
H1N1 does appear to be causing more severe illness for children and young adults, in contrast to seasonal flu, which usually hits older people harder.
Seasonal flu kills an estimated 36,000 people in the U.S. annually. H1N1 has caused more than 1,000 deaths in the U.S.
Local health officials are trying to distribute H1N1 vaccine as quickly as possible.
Hundreds turned out yesterday in Chesterfield County for a flu-vaccine clinic, where 800 doses of H1N1 vaccine were administered. A similar clinic with the same number of doses will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Chesterfield Health Department at 9501 Lucy Corr Circle. In addition, a vaccination clinic is planned for 3-7 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds, 10300 Courthouse Road. People can call (804) 768-7499 to hear details.
Other than a couple of fender-benders in the parking lot, things went smoothly yesterday, said Dr. William R. Nelson, the Chesterfield Health District director.
"People came early, and they had to wait a long time," Nelson said. "What I am seeing in the line is almost every adult has a kid with them."
While most of the flu circulating in the community is H1N1, a health official said Monday that cases of influenza B have been identified during laboratory surveillance testing.
"What that indicates is we are starting to see a little bit of seasonal flu creep into the season," said Dr. Brooke Rossheim, the Chickahominy Health District director.
------
Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com.
-----
To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.