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Baltimore Girl, 13, On Life Support With H1N1 Flu- DIES
Sep 24, 2009 4:50 pm US/Eastern
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
A 13-year-old Baltimore girl is on life support after contracting the swine flu.
Jessica Kartalija reports she is a student at Montebello Elementary and Middle School.
The illness is still moving quickly through the U.S., but experts say it's not moving any faster than the regular flu.
If a flu case is confirmed, a school could remain closed for two weeks.
A letter sent home to parents of students at Montebello Elementary and Middle School says:
"We have been informed by the Health Department that a student at Montebello Elementary Middle has a confirmed case of H1N1 flu. The student is being treated and is not in school. The building will be thoroughly cleaned according to processes established with the Health Department. We will also be reinforcing with students basic hygiene measures that can help prevent the spread of flu. The steps needed to control influenza in our schools are simple. By getting children vaccinated, keeping them home when they're sick, and teaching them the importance of washing hands and covering coughs, we can help keep our children healthy this year. For more information, parents can call 311 or visit the Baltimore City Health Department website at www.baltimorehealth.org."
The letter comes just hours after WJZ received a frantic phone call from the teen's aunt saying the girl is on life support at the University of Maryland Medical Center with the H1N1 virus.
Her aunt tells WJZ the girl collapsed at school Monday. She was taken to the hospital where she went into cardiac arrest.
This comes just a week before a H1N1 vaccine, developed at the University of Maryland Medical Center, will be made available to the public.
Federal health officials say up to 50 percent of Americans could contract the virus, killing between 30 and 90,000 people.
Maryland scientists are now testing the potency of a diluted vaccine that would stretch the current supply.
"My trial is to try and add a special ingredient to a vaccine called an adjuvant to potentially use much lower doses of the vaccine," said Wilbur Chen, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
President Barack Obama says the strain may not be any more serious than ordinary flu, but the country must be prepared.
"I'm optimistic that we're going to be able to manage this effectively, but we still have more work to do," said Obama.
Health officials say the virus hasn't changed since it first surfaced early this year, meaning the vaccine should be very effective.
http://wjz.com/local/swine.flu.wjz.2.1206417.html
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
A 13-year-old Baltimore girl is on life support after contracting the swine flu.
Jessica Kartalija reports she is a student at Montebello Elementary and Middle School.
The illness is still moving quickly through the U.S., but experts say it's not moving any faster than the regular flu.
If a flu case is confirmed, a school could remain closed for two weeks.
A letter sent home to parents of students at Montebello Elementary and Middle School says:
"We have been informed by the Health Department that a student at Montebello Elementary Middle has a confirmed case of H1N1 flu. The student is being treated and is not in school. The building will be thoroughly cleaned according to processes established with the Health Department. We will also be reinforcing with students basic hygiene measures that can help prevent the spread of flu. The steps needed to control influenza in our schools are simple. By getting children vaccinated, keeping them home when they're sick, and teaching them the importance of washing hands and covering coughs, we can help keep our children healthy this year. For more information, parents can call 311 or visit the Baltimore City Health Department website at www.baltimorehealth.org."
The letter comes just hours after WJZ received a frantic phone call from the teen's aunt saying the girl is on life support at the University of Maryland Medical Center with the H1N1 virus.
Her aunt tells WJZ the girl collapsed at school Monday. She was taken to the hospital where she went into cardiac arrest.
This comes just a week before a H1N1 vaccine, developed at the University of Maryland Medical Center, will be made available to the public.
Federal health officials say up to 50 percent of Americans could contract the virus, killing between 30 and 90,000 people.
Maryland scientists are now testing the potency of a diluted vaccine that would stretch the current supply.
"My trial is to try and add a special ingredient to a vaccine called an adjuvant to potentially use much lower doses of the vaccine," said Wilbur Chen, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
President Barack Obama says the strain may not be any more serious than ordinary flu, but the country must be prepared.
"I'm optimistic that we're going to be able to manage this effectively, but we still have more work to do," said Obama.
Health officials say the virus hasn't changed since it first surfaced early this year, meaning the vaccine should be very effective.
http://wjz.com/local/swine.flu.wjz.2.1206417.html
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