But province warns that vigilance must remain

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By Nick Moore
Times & Transcript Staff

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FREDERICTON - The Department of Health says the level of H1N1 flu activity in New Brunswick has dropped off considerably within the past few weeks.

But Dr. Eilish Cleary, the province's chief medical officer of health, says it'd be a mistake to assume the virus no longer presents a threat of re-emerging.

According to laboratory statistics, H1N1 activity peaked during the first week of November when there were about 1,500 H1N1 laboratory tests conducted. Of those tests, about 45 per cent returned as positive for H1N1 (about 675 confirmed tests).

Last week, about 500 H1N1 tests were conducted and 10 per cent of those tests were confirmed as H1N1 flu (about 50 confirmed cases).

Cleary said there have also been reports of school absenteeism rates and emergency room visits going down over the past few weeks across the province.

"It would look to us here that we've reached some kind of peak and are starting to come down again," she said. "But we can't afford to get distracted by seeing a decrease in the intensity of activity.

"It's important to remember that for every person who is immune, because they got the disease and got better, or because they got the vaccine, there are many other people out there who are just as susceptible."

The Department of Health confirmed five new H1N1 deaths over the past week, bringing the province's total to seven. Of those deaths, there were four men and three women. Two were in their 40s, two were in their 50s, and three were over 60. The province says these individuals all had at least one pre-existing medical condition that increased their risk of complications from influenza. The province is refusing to release what their specific conditions were or where the deaths happened.

In context, public health officials estimate that between 150 and 200 NBers died of seasonal flu during last winter's flu season.

To date, 157 people have been hospitalized due to H1N1 in New Brunswick since April (when the flu outbreak began). Of those hospitalizations, 25 people have been put into intensive care and 17 of those ICU patients had an underlying medical condition.

Of total hospitalizations, almost half are in the infant-to-19 age group with the rest being evenly distributed among other age groups, slightly higher in the older age groups.

Cleary said all New Brunswickers who haven't yet been vaccinated against H1N1 are still being encouraged to get the flu shot. The province says vaccination clinics for the general population will begin Monday.

Tentatively on Monday, local H1N1 flu shot clinics for the general public have been scheduled at the Crossman Community Centre at 99 Wynwood Dr. from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and at the NBCC Moncton campus at 1234 Mountain Rd. from 6 to 9 p.m. Again, these clinics are being listed as tentative at this time.

About 108,000 vaccine doses are in the province right now. To date, a third of New Brunswickers (about 220,000 people) have been vaccinated against H1N1.

Now that general population clinics are being scheduled, Cleary said the goal will be to create better access to the flu shot.

"So we have communicated with every physician in New Brunswick and have offered them vaccine should they wish to offer it to their patients and be able to do so."