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Source: http://www.unionleader.com/article.a...f-77a54390ee86
The state's swine flu death count is now six
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
CONCORD ? Three more New Hampshire adults have died from complications related to swine flu, and state officials yesterday announced that vaccination clinics will open this week for high-risk individuals.
The new deaths bring to six the total number of fatal cases, said Dr. Jose T. Montero, the state public health director.
In Hanover, Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim sent a campus-wide e-mail yesterday confirming that a graduate student who died over the weekend had tested positive for swine flu. Kim said Henry Masters had a chronic autoimmune disorder and his parents believed the pre-existing condition was the underlying cause of his death.
Another victim, a man, lived in Cheshire County. The third is a woman who lived in Strafford County.
Both deaths were reported and confirmed last week, Montero said. Last week, state officials announced a Pelham boy also died from swine flu-related complications.
Montero said regional clinics will offer swine flu vaccines this week to target high-risk groups who otherwise do not have access to them.
Clinics will provide the vaccine by appointment only to those 18 to 24 years old with underlying medical conditions that place them at risk for severe complications or death from swine flu. Those illnesses include asthma, heart disease and immunosuppression diseases.
Also eligible are those who provide continuous care to infants under 6 months of age.
At this point, the vaccine is not intended for those who occasionally visit infants, Montero said.
Health officials encourage those who can get a vaccine from their health care provider or college-based clinic to do so.
"We don't want to overwhelm the clinics," Montero said.
"In these clinics, we want basically those who don't have access to a regular health care provider with that vaccine," he explained.
Since state officials announced the regional clinics last week, there has been a "huge increase" in calls from people trying to book appointments, even though they don't fall in the eligible risk groups. Some even live in other states, Montero said.
"It's incredibly important that only those in the high-risk groups should call," he added.
Pregnant women and children under 18 with underlying medical conditions should continue to try to get vaccines from their health care providers, he said.
Clinics will continue through the next three weeks. One will be held in Manchester today and another in Lebanon on Saturday.
"We don't have enough vaccine for all the people we want vaccinated today. We need three weeks to cover the people in those risk groups," Montero said.
He said the state learned Friday that it may receive half of the 40,000 doses it expected this week. He said he should know by today whether more doses will be shipped.
So far, about 205,000 vaccines have been distributed, Montero said.
The clinic will be held at the Manchester Health Department from 4 to 9 p.m. today. It is limited to licensed child care providers in the region by appointment, the city's Public Health Director Timothy M. Soucy said.
Vaccines will be offered as long as the supply lasts, he said. The city health department plans to hold a much larger clinic in the next few weeks, he said.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Web site will have updates on clinic locations.
The state's swine flu death count is now six
By KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
CONCORD ? Three more New Hampshire adults have died from complications related to swine flu, and state officials yesterday announced that vaccination clinics will open this week for high-risk individuals.
The new deaths bring to six the total number of fatal cases, said Dr. Jose T. Montero, the state public health director.
In Hanover, Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim sent a campus-wide e-mail yesterday confirming that a graduate student who died over the weekend had tested positive for swine flu. Kim said Henry Masters had a chronic autoimmune disorder and his parents believed the pre-existing condition was the underlying cause of his death.
Another victim, a man, lived in Cheshire County. The third is a woman who lived in Strafford County.
Both deaths were reported and confirmed last week, Montero said. Last week, state officials announced a Pelham boy also died from swine flu-related complications.
Montero said regional clinics will offer swine flu vaccines this week to target high-risk groups who otherwise do not have access to them.
Clinics will provide the vaccine by appointment only to those 18 to 24 years old with underlying medical conditions that place them at risk for severe complications or death from swine flu. Those illnesses include asthma, heart disease and immunosuppression diseases.
Also eligible are those who provide continuous care to infants under 6 months of age.
At this point, the vaccine is not intended for those who occasionally visit infants, Montero said.
Health officials encourage those who can get a vaccine from their health care provider or college-based clinic to do so.
"We don't want to overwhelm the clinics," Montero said.
"In these clinics, we want basically those who don't have access to a regular health care provider with that vaccine," he explained.
Since state officials announced the regional clinics last week, there has been a "huge increase" in calls from people trying to book appointments, even though they don't fall in the eligible risk groups. Some even live in other states, Montero said.
"It's incredibly important that only those in the high-risk groups should call," he added.
Pregnant women and children under 18 with underlying medical conditions should continue to try to get vaccines from their health care providers, he said.
Clinics will continue through the next three weeks. One will be held in Manchester today and another in Lebanon on Saturday.
"We don't have enough vaccine for all the people we want vaccinated today. We need three weeks to cover the people in those risk groups," Montero said.
He said the state learned Friday that it may receive half of the 40,000 doses it expected this week. He said he should know by today whether more doses will be shipped.
So far, about 205,000 vaccines have been distributed, Montero said.
The clinic will be held at the Manchester Health Department from 4 to 9 p.m. today. It is limited to licensed child care providers in the region by appointment, the city's Public Health Director Timothy M. Soucy said.
Vaccines will be offered as long as the supply lasts, he said. The city health department plans to hold a much larger clinic in the next few weeks, he said.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Web site will have updates on clinic locations.