A total number of 72 confirmed cases of influenza, including three deaths, were reported last week alone ? the highest number reported within a week, showing the ongoing flu epidemic is reaching its peak, local health officials warned yesterday.
The new cases pushed the total number of confirmed flu cases to 295 and among them 14 people have died of the disease since July 1, according to the Department of Health's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday.
Among the three deaths, two of the victims had received flu vaccines before, which casts doubt over the effectiveness of such preventive measure, according to a Chinese-language United Evening News report yesterday.
In response, Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), deputy director-general of the CDC, said that two patients died because of their relatively weaker immune systems since they were both in their 90s. The vaccines should not be blamed for failing to protect their health, he noted.
The three deaths are a 96-year-old woman in eastern Taitung County, 98-year-old male in southern Changhua County and 60-year-old man in southern Pingtung County, according to the CDC.
Of the total 295 cases reported so far, 99 of them were type-B influenza, the CDC said.
Local health experts said the situation is very different from that of last year when almost 90 percent of all confirmed cases were type-A.
..
The new cases pushed the total number of confirmed flu cases to 295 and among them 14 people have died of the disease since July 1, according to the Department of Health's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday.
Among the three deaths, two of the victims had received flu vaccines before, which casts doubt over the effectiveness of such preventive measure, according to a Chinese-language United Evening News report yesterday.
In response, Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), deputy director-general of the CDC, said that two patients died because of their relatively weaker immune systems since they were both in their 90s. The vaccines should not be blamed for failing to protect their health, he noted.
The three deaths are a 96-year-old woman in eastern Taitung County, 98-year-old male in southern Changhua County and 60-year-old man in southern Pingtung County, according to the CDC.
Of the total 295 cases reported so far, 99 of them were type-B influenza, the CDC said.
Local health experts said the situation is very different from that of last year when almost 90 percent of all confirmed cases were type-A.
..
Comment