Archive for Tuesday, November 24, 2009
2 more Kansans with H1N1 virus die
November 24, 2009, 2:21 p.m. Updated November 24, 2009, 5:38 p.m.
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Swine Flu Pandemic
An outbreak of H1N1 Swine Flu was reported in Mexico in April 2009. By the end of May, it had spread across the U.S., with all 50 states reporting cases.
Two Kansas men who were infected with the H1N1 virus have died, bringing the state death toll to 20.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported these deaths:
• A 44-year-old from the Kansas City metropolitan area who had underlying health conditions that placed him at greater risk for severe complications of influenza. The area includes Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte counties.
• A 35-year-old from northeast Kansas who did not have any underlying health conditions. The area includes Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Riley, Pottawatomie Atchison, Geary, Morris, Lyon and Douglas counties.
Spokespeople with Douglas, Leavenworth and Johnson counties said the deaths likely did not occur in their counties because they were not contacted by KDHE. A Franklin County spokeswoman declined to comment.
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24 November 2009
at 2:26 p.m.
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unsavoryagent (Anonymous) says…
“A 35-year-old from northeast Kansas who did not have any underlying health conditions.”
Cripes
24 November 2009
at 2:28 p.m.
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ralphralph (Anonymous) says…
Cripes and a half.
24 November 2009
at 2:28 p.m.
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feetup (Anonymous) says…
“A 35-year-old from northeast Kansas who did not have any underlying health conditions”
and not in the “target age” for the shot.
gee i feel better now that all i have is a chest cold…
24 November 2009
at 2:30 p.m.
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feetup (Anonymous) says…
but my heart goes out to their families, self centered comment i made….sorry
24 November 2009
at 3:08 p.m.
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gsxr600 (Anonymous) says…
Condolences to the family.
But, does LJW really have to put a new story up every time a couple of people die from h1n1 in Kansas? How about you do a story on the people that die from obesity, heart disease, lung cancer, and alcoholism everyday? Oh wait, you can't because you have to make everyone believe H1N1 will kill you. If you do that, you'll get more readership and broadcast outlets will get higher ratings. It must be a moot point that hundreds of other diseases alone outweigh the deaths of H1N1 exponentially. Keeping information in perspective is a fail here.
24 November 2009
at 3:08 p.m.
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thelonious (Anonymous) says…
It's time for the Lawrence-Douglas County health department to offer the H1N1 vaccine to anyone who wants one, rather than hoarding it for “risk groups” who then don't even show up at the clinics.
The shots need to get into the arms of people who want them, not be saved for children whose parents are more afraid of the vaccine than the disease.
While kids under 24 are supposedly at highest risk, has anybody else noticed that almost all of the deaths in Kansas have been people in their 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's, at least half of which have no risk factors?
I spoke with the LDCHD a couple of weeks ago, and they confirmed that the clinics at the schools in Eudora, Baldwin, and Lawrence had been poorly attended and that they had several thousand doses of vaccine available with more arriving each week. I know that the next two clinics have been opened up to 25 to 64 year olds with underlying health conditions, but I believe it is time to open it up to all - healthy, unhealthy, young, old, etc.
The LDCHD will say that the CDC ties their hands, but that is not entirely true - the CDC does issue guidelines, but there is nothing preventing the LDCHD from offering the shot to everyone if they have enough vaccine.
When healthy 35-year old adults are dying and a vaccine that could prevent this sits in a freezer, it is time to change the plan.
Come on LDCHD, let's start protecting the public health for everyone - not just people under the age of 24.
24 November 2009
at 3:19 p.m.
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unsavoryagent (Anonymous) says…
“How about you do a story on the people that die from obesity, heart disease, lung cancer, and alcoholism everyday?”
Why, did Obama and Brownie, err Kathleen promise a vaccine for those too?
24 November 2009
at 3:38 p.m.
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clarkbar (Anonymous) says…
Thelonius is right. Of the 20 deaths from H1N1 reported in the LJW, all but one of them has been of people over 30 years old. A third of the people who reportedly died of the disease had no underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk. It is past time to offer the vaccine to anyone who wants it.
24 November 2009
at 4:17 p.m.
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kat66044 (Anonymous) says…
I must be missing the announcements of the open H1N1 clinics. I wonder if people aren't coming because they don't know about them.
24 November 2009
at 4:18 p.m.
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gsxr600 (Anonymous) says…
I'm not sure why politics are of discussion here. Btw, vaccines are only a preventative measure. They don't guarantee anything.
24 November 2009
at 4:37 p.m.
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Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
kat66044~ People are “missing” them because they won't allow you to get vaccinated unless you fall within one of their target groups—which would have excluded the 35-year-old who did not have underlying health problems. Wonder if that person would've gotten vaccinated if he had had the chance.
I don't know about private physicians—do they have enough doses for anyone who wants one or are they only serving those in the target groups? Anyone know?
24 November 2009
at 4:39 p.m.
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clarkbar (Anonymous) says…
Pywacket—only the target groups. Or at least that's the case at my physician's office.
24 November 2009
at 5:21 p.m.
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thelonious (Anonymous) says…
“I must be missing the announcements of the open H1N1 clinics. I wonder if people aren't coming because they don't know about them.”
The LDCHD clinics are well-publicized - announced in the LJW, and on their website.
“I'm not sure why politics are of discussion here. Btw, vaccines are only a preventative measure. They don't guarantee anything.”
They don't guarantee anything, but I believe they help - my wife, who is a school teacher (who can't get the vaccine even though she is surrounded by kids every day), has been fighting some kind of flu-like illness for the past 10 days or so. I have mild asthma and got the H1N1 vaccine at the first LDCHD clinic before they limited it to just children, and I have not gotten sick. Yet. Empirical evidence, sure, but I credit the shot for helping to protect me. My wife, fortunately, appears to be recovering, finally - in her case the illness has been (relatively) mild, but still pretty miserable, missed 2 days of work, etc.
Why teachers are not included in the priority group that includes doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police makes no sense to me. It now appears that Santa Clauses will get the vaccine before school teachers. Sad.
“Pywacket—only the target groups. Or at least that's the case at my physician's office.”
Clarkbar is correct - most places, private doctors included, hew to the CDC guidelines. I have sent several e-mails to the CDC saying, in effect, have you guys noticed that most DEATHS are occurring to people in their 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's, many of whom have no underlying health conditions, while you are prioritizing the vaccine to children and young adults under 24 (and especially 18 or even 6)? Their reply is canned - most illness is in children, etc. So the CDC seems more interested in preventing kids sniffles rather than adults deaths.
24 November 2009
at 5:38 p.m.
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Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
clarkbar and thelonious~ Thanks for the clarification. Since I never seem to get whatever is going around, I haven't checked with my physician's office, but I have been wondering. I did find out from my 20-year-old that he was able to get the vaccine from the group he goes to, which was a relief.
One thing that particularly seemed idiotic to me was that the “target age” was up to 24, but the clinics' cut-off was inexplicably at 19—despite the fact that every clinic I heard about first hand (i.e., knew someone who went late in the day, or the one I took my youngest kid to—again, late in the day) had plenty left over going begging. Why didn't they at least include the 20-24-year-olds, since they WERE on the target list and since there have been deaths among healthy individuals in that age group?
I agree—it's time to start offering it to age groups that really seem at risk—especially if they teach or are otherwise around kids all day!
Oh, and dresden~ You are a fragging idiot. But you probably already suspected as much.
24 November 2009
at 5:45 p.m.
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middlemgmt (Anonymous) says…
I'm glad the offered children first, but I think the parents that were going to vaccinate have had the opportunity. lets open it up to everyone else so we can give everyone an equal chance to fight this off.
24 November 2009
at 6:20 p.m.
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Boston_Corbett (Anonymous) says…
The vaccine will continue to be rationed to our health departments, but now that the target groups have had clinics, I am sure there will be general population clinic just as soon as they have a supply large enough to accomodate a high demand first day or two. Because if not, everyone will be screaming that they were turned away the first day.
Then three weeks after that there will be more vaccine around than people will ever want or use. Which is probably when I will get my shot. I hate lines.
25 November 2009
at 5:41 a.m.
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ferretpop (Anonymous) says…
Maybe those who died with no underlying health conditions really did have a health deficiency, one that goes unrecognized. Is it possible that they had a Vitamin D3 deficiency?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH1rB-…