Swine flu has caused far fewer deaths than initially predicted
December 11, 2009
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal shows that the H1N1 swine flu pandemic has been far less lethal than many medical experts had at first predicted. The study was led by the government’s chief medical officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson. An analysis of deaths up until November 8th this year showed that for every 100,000 cases of the disease in England twenty-six people had died. The research also shows that only one percent of the English population had contracted a form of the disease which showed symptoms.
Although Donaldson admitted that the disease had been much less lethal than was initially feared he said that this was not a reason to stop being vigilant. He said it was still important to get flu vaccinations to people in high risk groups such as pregnant women and those with health problems such as heart-disease, asthma and diabetes. He said that he thought there was still justification for extending the vaccination programme and making anti-viral treatment as widely available as possible.
Statistics in the study showed that those at most risk of dying from swine flu were over the age of sixty-five and those at least risk were aged between five and fourteen years of age. The average age for those who have succumbed to the disease is thirty-nine. Of those who did die the research shows that they were already in the highest risk category and as such would have been eligible for swine flu vaccinations.
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