Comment: Swine flu tragedies

Jul 7 2009 by Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE SAD news that two people in Kirklees have died from swine flu is terribly tragic – but people must see this in context.

There is no need to panic as most people who contract the disease recover within a week without any complications.

Having said that, the number of cases is set to rise dramatically over the coming weeks.

Both the man and the girl who died in Kirklees had serious underlying health issues which would undoubtedly have made them far more vulnerable to the disease. At this early stage it remains unclear if swine flu was the cause of their deaths.

The Government realises the increase of the disease as it has moved from containment to the treatment stage – and as many as 100,000 people may have caught swine flu by the end of August.

That said, the vast majority of these cases are expected to be mild and a swine flu vaccine is expected to be ready by the middle of next month with 60 million doses expected to be available by the end of the year.

The Government has ordered enough vaccine for the whole population, but to reduce the impact of swine flu those at greatest risk will be given priority.

So, it seems things are moving fast to protect us all.