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Source: http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/974517.html
Monday, Oct. 12, 2009
Second Fayette County death from H1N1 flu reported
By Mary Meehan - mmeehan1@herald-leader.com
A second Fayette County resident has died from the H1N1 virus, bring the total number of deaths in Kentucky to five.
The death last week of a woman in her 60s was confirmed as an H1N1 case Tuesday by the Lexington Fayette-County Health Department. Although senior citizens are not considered to be at high risk for complications from H1N1, the woman had other serious, chronic medical conditions that contributed to her death, said health department spokesman Kevin Hall.
Kentucky will be receiving some 10,000 doses of vaccine for the H1N1 virus soon but progress was halted Monday because of Columbus Day, a federal holiday.
When the vaccine is made available, the first doses will be given to health care workers, said Gwenda Bond, spokeswoman for the state Department for Public Health. Next, a priority group, including pregnant women and children, will be vaccinated. Mass vaccination clinics are being planned through health departments across the state and individual school districts may offer vaccinations to students during the school day, she said.
Last month, a Fayette County woman in her 50s and a 41-year-old woman in Jefferson County died from the illness. A 13-year-old Caldwell County girl who died Sept. 23 had H1N1, although the exact cause of her death is under investigation. Hers is the first death of a child in Kentucky that has been connected to swine flu. The death of a Christian County woman in her late 20s has also been tied to H1N1 although the woman apparently had other underlying health problems.
Kentucky Department for Public Health recently launched a toll-free flu hotline Kentuckians can call with questions about H1N1 or seasonal flu. The toll-free number is 1-8..., the service operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and is staffed by nurses.
Monday, Oct. 12, 2009
Second Fayette County death from H1N1 flu reported
By Mary Meehan - mmeehan1@herald-leader.com
A second Fayette County resident has died from the H1N1 virus, bring the total number of deaths in Kentucky to five.
The death last week of a woman in her 60s was confirmed as an H1N1 case Tuesday by the Lexington Fayette-County Health Department. Although senior citizens are not considered to be at high risk for complications from H1N1, the woman had other serious, chronic medical conditions that contributed to her death, said health department spokesman Kevin Hall.
Kentucky will be receiving some 10,000 doses of vaccine for the H1N1 virus soon but progress was halted Monday because of Columbus Day, a federal holiday.
When the vaccine is made available, the first doses will be given to health care workers, said Gwenda Bond, spokeswoman for the state Department for Public Health. Next, a priority group, including pregnant women and children, will be vaccinated. Mass vaccination clinics are being planned through health departments across the state and individual school districts may offer vaccinations to students during the school day, she said.
Last month, a Fayette County woman in her 50s and a 41-year-old woman in Jefferson County died from the illness. A 13-year-old Caldwell County girl who died Sept. 23 had H1N1, although the exact cause of her death is under investigation. Hers is the first death of a child in Kentucky that has been connected to swine flu. The death of a Christian County woman in her late 20s has also been tied to H1N1 although the woman apparently had other underlying health problems.
Kentucky Department for Public Health recently launched a toll-free flu hotline Kentuckians can call with questions about H1N1 or seasonal flu. The toll-free number is 1-8..., the service operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and is staffed by nurses.