MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Tuesday, February 09, 2010 | WIRELESS CONTACT US | SUBSCRIBER SERVICES | SIGN IN SIGN OUT | MY PROFILE PAGE | MY ACCOUNT

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email      Comment Comment      RSS RSS     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

Six die from flu across state
They include one person who died from seasonal flu.
 
By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/20/2009  2:23 AM
Last Modified: 11/20/2009  6:35 AM


Get more information on swine flu, including prevention tips and frequently asked questions.

Six more people in Oklahoma have died from the flu, including one person in Tulsa County.

One of the six died from the seasonal flu, said Larry Weatherford, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

"We don't typically track seasonal flu," Weatherford said. "Seasonal flu hits the elderly the hardest, which makes it harder to track because often there are complications associated with that."

According to the state Health Department, 33 people in Oklahoma have died since Sept. 1 from either the H1N1 strain — also called swine flu — or from the seasonal flu.

A Kay County man who died before the state began keeping track of swine-flu deaths is not included in the official tally, but brings the total for the state to 34.

Among those who died last week, three were between 25 and 49 years old and three were between 50 and 63 years old, including the person in Tulsa County. No children or people older than 65 died last week from any flu virus.

Oklahoma County had two more flu deaths, Comanche County had one and Custer and Kiowa counties each had a flu death for the first time since September.

The Tulsa City-County Health Department has set another free walk-in H1N1 vaccination clinic from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Expo Exchange Center, 21st Street between Harvard and Yale avenues.

This week's two-day H1N1 vaccination clinic was the first that was open to all Tulsa County residents, and more than 8,000 were vaccinated, said Melanie Christian, spokeswoman for the Tulsa City-County Health Department.

Officials also have started to see a few people test positive for seasonal flu, but it's hard to track, Christian said. "It's not a reportable disease. If a doctor does test for it, they don't have to report it to the Health Department," she said.

Seasonal flu season lasts from late November through March and it peaks in late January and early February.

It's too early to tell whether the swine flu will have a similar peak. "One of the unusual facts with a pandemic is we see a flu virus outside its usual season," Weatherford said.


Tulsa H1N1 clinics

WHEN: 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: Expo Exchange Center, 21st Street between Harvard and Yale avenues.

COST: Free

Other upcoming Tulsa County H1N1 clinics:

  • 3 to 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Tulsa Community College West Campus, 7505 W. 41st St.
  • 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 12 at Oral Roberts University, 7777 S. Lewis Ave.

H1N1 flu clinic for other counties can be found at tulsaworld.com/h1n1clinics

By SARA PLUMMER World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Newspaper View      Print this story Print      Email this story Email      Comment Comment      RSS RSS     
Share      Bookmark Bookmark

Reader Comments
       Add your comment

2 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Report Comment Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 
 
Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Recent flu deaths include Tulsa County victim; H1N1 vaccine offered locally," which was published on 11/19/2009.

Report Comment
Mar, Tulsa (11/19/2009 1:04:02 PM)
Well so much for the 50 years of age and older being safe.

I think the health departments are just grasping at straws as to who will/can be affected with the H1N1. They don't really know.
Report Comment
Elusive, Owasso (11/20/2009 4:42:36 AM)
I wonder how long they will continue giving shots. I can't help but wonder why the article didn't say six between the age of 25-63 instead three between 25-49 and three between 50-63.
 

 
Add Your Comment 
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.

 
  
Post Your Comment
 


Most Popular Stories
Comments made yesterday 2,015
Total Comments 1,033,554
Register to make reader comments

Most Popular Stories




Tulsa World

Home | About Tulsa World | Advertise With Us | Privacy | Usage Agreement | FAQ and Help | Contact Us | Today's Headlines
Copyright © 2010, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.




Advanced Search