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Oklahoma County woman dies from swine flu
 
By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press Writer
Published: 10/7/2009  7:43 AM
Last Modified: 10/7/2009  5:23 PM


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






NEWCASTLE — Dozens of Newcastle Elementary School students received some of the first doses of the swine flu vaccination in Oklahoma on Wednesday as the virus continued to take its toll on the state, resulting in school closings and another death.

The Oklahoma City-County Health Department confirmed on Wednesday the death of an adult woman who they said had an underlying medical condition. Her death is the fifth in the state attributed to the novel H1N1, or swine flu, virus.

In Newcastle in McClain County, children lined up beginning at noon to receive some of the first of 21,100 doses of the FluMist nasal spray vaccine shipped to the state this week. The doses were distributed to county health departments based on population.

Most of the youngsters winced briefly and expressed relief they weren't getting a shot as health care workers sent one blast of the spray into each nostril.

Jan O'Brien, whose 4-year-old grandson, Christian Neidel, was one of the first in line for the vaccine, said she wanted to take every precaution to keep him from getting the swine flu.

"It's hard if both parents are working — if they have to take a couple of days off, that's a couple of days without pay," she said. "We thought it was just wonderful that the school was offering this."

Health officials specifically targeted school-age children, particularly in schools with high absenteeism as a result of flulike symptoms, said Don Blose, chief of the Oklahoma Department of Health's immunization service.

"The thought is if we can get it in school-age children quickly enough, particularly in areas that have already experienced increases in H1N1 activity, we may be able to protect a good part of the community," he said.

Meanwhile, White Rock School District in Lincoln County canceled classes for the remainder of the week after almost 50 percent of their students were absent on Tuesday, said Shelly Hickman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education.

Ketchum Adventist Academy, a private school in Craig County, also canceled classes this week, and two other public school districts — Haworth in McCurtain County and Roff in Pontotoc County — were closed for several days last week.

Oklahoma is scheduled to receive another 44,000 doses of the vaccine next week, including some injectable doses that can be used for pregnant women and other high-risk people.

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press Writer

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Bullhead, Nicut (10/7/2009 9:38:41 AM)
WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HA NDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOU R.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.WASH.YOUR.HANDS.
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2ndjoyce, BA (10/7/2009 9:50:16 AM)
Did you say WASH YOUR HANDS?
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lucky girl, mine (10/7/2009 9:53:54 AM)
Really, wash your hands? What a thought.
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TBD, (10/7/2009 10:24:23 AM)
Wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday to yourself) using hot water and soap. Then, use the paper towel to open the bathroom door.
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JoTulsa, Broken Arrow (10/7/2009 11:05:24 AM)
Why does a Pre-K through 8th grade school district with ONLY 135 kids exist in Oklahoma? Seriously, we need some consolidation!!!
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Centrist, the burbs (10/7/2009 5:24:03 PM)
Also stay away from large groups of people if possible until this passes, don't touch your nose, mouth, eyes without washing your hands first. When I hear someone near me cough at a store, I hold my breath and quickly get a way from them to a clean air space. :) I'm not taking any chances. I also try to avoid touching door handles, push with elbow or pull shirt sleeve down to grasp it.
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Mar, Tulsa (10/7/2009 5:24:25 PM)
So true JoTulsa, the state would save a lot of money due to duplication of personnel and services.

Wash hands, but I've noticed some public restrooms don't have running hot water, just cold.

So sad about the woman, about all the people that have died due to swine flu.

Besides washing hands a lot, sneeze/cough into tissues or if no tissue around, the inside of your arm/elbow. Keep your distance from strangers, try to keep your hands from your eyes, nose and mouth. Get some sunshine, fresh air, some exercise, 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, eat healthy foods such as veggies, fruits, protein, whole grains and some dairy.

Take a good multi-vitamin that has a lot of B vitamins, Life's Fortune is excellent. Take plenty of vitamin C, Emergen'C is excellent. Keep your kitchen and bathrooms clean. Then hope for the best.
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papajohn, henryetta (10/8/2009 8:55:12 AM)
Woman dies in one county, a man dies in another county, thier name and AGE is not released,wonder why?
 

 
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