No need to panic over flu deaths'
Sydney Morning Herald
July 8, 2007
A FLU outbreak in NSW was unlikely despite the deaths of three young children in Western Australia in the past few days, authorities said yesterday.
But NSW Health said it was not too late to be vaccinated against the respiratory illness.
NSW Health director of communicable diseases Dr Jeremy McAnulty said the annual flu season had arrived in NSW but there was no data to suggest anything more serious than usual. "It's so far shaping up like a regular old flu season but we will be monitoring it over the coming weeks," he said.
While most people get over the flu without problems, young children, the over-55s, Aborigines over 50 and people with existing medical conditions should take extra care, he said.
People with diabetes, heart problems and respiratory conditions were particularly at risk from complications, such as pneumonia, brought on by flu.
Dr McAnulty urged people in those groups, who had not already been vaccinated, to visit their GP and receive the flu shot, which takes about a week to take effect.
People struck down by flu should stay at home and recuperate, rather than go to work or school and risk spreading the illness, he said.
Dr McAnulty said it was also important to remember basic hygiene, such as coughing into a tissue and regular hand-washing, to reduce the spread of flu.
"Many hundreds of people in NSW, maybe thousands across Australia, are hospitalised from flu each year," he said.
"There's probably several hundred deaths across Australia, usually elderly people but sometimes small children . . . fortunately it's pretty uncommon."
Hundreds of concerned parents have fronted up to hospital emergency departments across Perth following an influenza warning from health authorities. Their action was prompted by a call from Western Australia's Department of Health urging parents to seek early medical attention for young children showing signs of respiratory illness.
The department's warning followed the deaths of three children, all aged under five, in the Perth metropolitan area in recent days.
It has been confirmed they died from the A strain of the influenza virus, which can be controlled by vaccination.
Two died after suffering complications after falling ill in a Perth hospital. The third did not receive hospital treatment.
OK Kiddies, lets move on to the next sensationalistic journalism piece, surely there must be another apocolypse due soon
