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OBITUARIES - DEATH NOTICES - CARDS OF THANKS
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| Last updated at 1:23 AM on 06/11/09 |
Slight dip in cases, but no sign H1N1 nearing its end 
CORNER BROOK
CLIFF WELLS
The Western Star
Western Health says it has a number of continuity plans in place should H1N1 influenza A become overwhelming to the system.
Dr. Ken Jenkins, vice-president of medical services, said the health authority ordered eight new ventilators and six new transport ventilators when planning for a possible swine flu pandemic.
They have since gotten that equipment and put it to work.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday there were 19 people in the western region in hospital with swine flu. Of those 19, six were in intensive care and two of them were on ventilators.
Wednesday there had been 27 cases of influenza-like illness in Western Health hospitals, with five patients in intensive care and three on ventilators.
It is too early to say if the drop in numbers is a sign that this wave of H1N1 is near its end.
“The numbers are going to be up and down as we move through it,” Jenkins said. “Given the short period of time and the small changes up or down, it’s difficult to say whether we’re seeing a trend at this point in time.”
Should hospital resources get overcome by cases, there are a number of alternate sites which could be used including the Stephenville Dome, which is a part of Western Health’s business continuity plan.
It’s a possible resource for Sir Thomas Roddick Hospital as overflow should H1N1 overrun the facility with seriously ill people.
There are other places that can be used under the plan for similar purposes for other institutions.
There is also an area of Western Memorial Regional Hospital that’s been set aside as a back-up intensive-care unit, if there are too many critically ill people to be handled by the main intensive-care unit.
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06/11/09
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Don from NL writes: There is quite a bit of scaremongering out there about this virus. Those know-it-alls who say it's just a flu and that you actually are taking a higher risk by getting the vaccine. They would have you take you chances and do nothing. What they perpetrate is ignorance and uninformed opinions.
First, no government makes the vaccine. There are 5 plants in the entire world that make the vaccine. The initial production estimate from these plants were, in the case of the USA, 100 million by October 1. This did not happen due to the fact that when they used the same techniques as used to produce the regular flu vaccine, they got lower yields. Now, 60 Minutes and the US Dept of Health report that these producers have this corrected and vaccines are being produced at a higher rate every day.
It takes about four months to produce a vaccine shot after you have identified the strain. This outbreak of H1N1 came to light in May. If you add 4 weeks on to May to identify the strain, then the regular 4 months to produce it, you end up in October. So to all those who say the government sat around and did nothing all summer, is a complete and utter ignorant politically charged statement.
To all those who say Jerome Kennedy should be fired - show me one other minister of health in the G20 group of countries who has not done the same thing as Kennedy. This is a dynamic virus that is spreading fast and increasingly so. On top of that the government does not control when or how much vaccine it gets. Kennedy is doing the best that can be expected.
To all those who say there are 8000 deaths per year from the regular flu, so this flu is no different. As of Oct 30, the World Health Organization reports there are at least 5712 deaths and at least 441661 cases - and the flu has just started. What will the final tally be next May?
To all those who say the vaccine has serious side effects. This is not true. Of the 14 million doses administered in the US as of last week, only 200 complaints had been reported of side effects ranging from sore arms to tiredness. The reports of possible paralysis is not true. This was a side effect of the 1976 vaccine, but in every vaccine since then, there has not been one case.
It comes down to two simple considerations: do you want to be one of those who takes his chances and ends up dead. Dead to leave your family behind to go on without you, all because you knew better than every medical officer on this planet? Or, will you be one to listen to your family doctor, to the chief medical officers, to the expert scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and the W.H.O. and get the vaccine to give yourself the best odds? Simple choice.
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| Posted 06/11/2009 at 10:10 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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MAry from NL writes: I will be getting the vaccination. I am a teacher and am off work for the second time this year because of flu like symptoms. This is the first time in years that I have had time of work for flu like symptoms!!! I heard this morning that there is plenty of vaccine made in Canada but not enough bottles to put it in and if there were enough bottles there are not enough people to put it in the bottles. So they are exporting it to other countries. Sounds crazy to me. ANyone out there know the rights of this???
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| Posted 06/11/2009 at 12:32 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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John from NL writes: Mary, I sure hope you are not an English/Grammar teacher.
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| Posted 06/11/2009 at 1:27 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Johnny Basha from Curling, Newfoundland writes: I got my shot. Ha Ha!
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| Posted 07/11/2009 at 10:16 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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