AH1N1 Deaths Climbs To 47; Vaccine On Its
Way
The ministerio de Salud (ministry of Health)
confirmed on Friday that the AH1N1 flu death
toll in the country had reached 47, while
the number of the flu infected patients rose
to about 1,500.
Ministra María Luisa Avila said that the
Costa Rican government has established a
special commission to review the records of
the dead who had the symptoms of the
disease.
Avila said 69 death cases have been
analyzed, nine deaths were ruled out by lab
tests, 13 were associated with other
conditions, while 47 were confirmed positive
for A/H1N1 flu, six more than the last
report.
The minister also said as no more cases
pending for review, the death toll of the
flu will stand at 47 by the end of 2009.
Avila added that the second wave of the
pandemic should hit the country between
January and February, but won't have such an
impact as the first wave, partly due to
preparations by health officials to prevent
the spread of infection and public
awareness.
In addition, the first batch of the vaccine
is on its way to Costa Rica.
Some 200.000 doses should arrive the first
week in January, several weeks behind
schedule, with another 400.000 doses
arriving weeks following. In total, Costa
Rica should get 1.8 million doses from the
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The doses will be distributed free of
charge, first on the list are those in the
high risk groups, such as medical
professionals, pregnant women, those
suffering from diabetes, obesity and
hypertension, and then the general
population.
Ministra Avila praised the work of the
country's hospital and health care workers
for a job well done in containing the spread
of the flu virus.
In the early months the ministerio de Salud
cancelled the important Costa Rican
tradition of the "romeria", the annual walk
to Cartago and took steps to control the
virus at the Limón carnival, the Festival de
la Luz and the Zapote Fair that begins on
Christmas day, in San José
However, fairs like Palmares in January
could be in jeopardy and Bebidas Florida
cancelled the Festival Imperial that would
have taken place in February, citing
concerns of the AH1N1 as the reason. |
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