Five deaths now linked to H1N1 Latest two deaths in province confirmed Monday DAVE BARTLETT The Telegram

Health Minister Jerome Kennedy and Dr. Faith Stratton, the province's chief medical officer of health, gave their daily H1N1 update at the House of Assembly Monday afternoon. The death toll from the H1N1 influenza now stands at five in the province. - Photo by Keith Gosse/The Telegram

It was another day for sympathies and condolences Monday, as Health Minister Jerome Kennedy confirmed two more people in the province had died from complications related to the H1N1 virus.

On Sunday afternoon, a 48-year-old man from the central region died, the first death of a person with no underlying health conditions.

Then on Sunday evening, a 69-year-old woman died in St. John's after having been transferred from the central region.

"We have now reached the point where this is our fifth H1N1-related death," Kennedy said somberly. "Again, my condolences to the families, in what is becoming an all-too-familiar situation here in this province."

Kennedy said he has asked the four CEOs of the province's regional health authorities to do an immediate review of the current H1N1 protocols to make sure further H1N1-related deaths are kept to a minimum.

"I also want to be able to inform the public that if there have been no problems encountered, that these deaths have occurred despite everyone's best efforts," he said.

Kennedy said the vaccinations of students in kindergarten to Grade 3 would continue, at least until today.

He also said the province is now trying to see how it can roll out its stockpile of non-adjuvanted vaccine.

There are currently 12,400 doses of non-adjuvanted vaccine in the province, which have been reserved for pregnant women.

However, the less-potent formula is being administered to the general population in the United States and in Australia, Kennedy said.

Ottawa is scheduled to send 15,500 doses of adjuvanted vaccine to Newfoundland and Labrador Wednesday.

Best effort

Kennedy repeated that the province is doing the best it can with the amount of vaccine it has.

But, he said, no matter how many times he's said that, the e-mails are still pouring into his office from people wondering when they may be able to get immunized.

Kennedy said schoolchildren remain his priority, along with those in high-risk groups.

The province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Faith Stratton, also updated reporters on the latest numbers of hospitalizations.

During the 24-hour period ending 8 a.m. Monday, 24 new patients were admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms; 14 of those are in intensive care and two are on ventilators.

Stratton said most of the new admissions are now in the eastern region as the virus moves across the province.

She said new hospital admissions are declining in western and central areas.

Stratton was asked if the second wave - expected to be the most prolonged and severe outbreak of the virus - has reached its peak in the province.

"We are seeing the progression of the wave - whether it's peaked or not for the province, it's hard to tell right now," she said.

But considering the data, Stratton said it's possible this wave may have peaked in the western region.

She did say a third, less severe wave can also be expected in the spring.

When asked if she was surprised that an apparent healthy person died from the virus, she said no.

"We knew we could expect people to have severe H1N1 illness and even some intensive care admissions and also deaths in otherwise healthy people," Stratton said.

Stratton also tried to put the deaths into perspective, noting between 5,000 and 8,000 people die every year in Canada from seasonal influenza.

She said those people are usually elderly.

Stratton said people are just more tuned in to what's happening with the H1N1 virus because it can affect younger people.

dbartlett@thetelegram.com

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