Swine flu death is 44th in Oklahoma
BY KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer
Friday, April 02, 2010
4/02/10 at 4:49 AM
An elderly Muskogee County woman died of complications from H1N1 flu two weeks ago, but swine flu continues at a low activity level in Oklahoma, state health officials said.
"It's still out there," said Larry Weatherford, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. "People are still getting the flu."
The death brings the number of H1N1 deaths in the state to 44 since the new virus emerged last April.
Eight Oklahomans were hospitalized last week with the new virus, with 1,131 people hospitalized since Sept. 1, state records show.
According to a national survey, Oklahoma has one of the lowest percentages of residents vaccinated against H1N1 in the country.
Just 20 percent of Oklahomans had been vaccinated, compared with Rhode Island's high of 39 percent and the national average of 24 percent, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's first report on H1N1 vaccination coverage released Thursday.
Mississippi had the lowest rate of 13 percent, data show.
Within Oklahoma's region, the state came in third behind Arkansas and New Mexico, both with 28 percent. Oklahoma's rate was higher than Texas' 16 percent and Louisiana's 15 percent, data shows.
Although most of the country continues to have a low level of H1N1 disease, Georgia has seen an increase in cases during February and March, said CDC spokeswoman Dr. Anne Shuchat. Since early December, 357 Georgia residents have been hospitalized with H1N1 and 22 have died.
The state also has a low vaccination rate, which may be the reason for the spike there, she said.
"It's possible there may be more people susceptible to the virus. But it's also possible they may just be a herald of what could happen in other states," Shuchat said.
In the end, she urged people to take advantage of the abundance of vaccine available.
"Vaccines save lives. They keep people healthy and out of the hospital. They keep people at work and at school," Shuchat said.
Vaccinations available
The Tulsa City-County
Health Department offers
free H1N1 vaccine on a
walk-in basis for anyone
older than 6 months. They
are available from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. monday through
Thursday and from 8 to
11 a.m. Friday at these
locations:
- James O. Goodwin
Health Center, 5051 S.
129th E. Ave.
- Central regional Health
Center, 315 S. Utica Ave.
- Expo Square Health
Center, 4616 E. 15th St.
- North Regional Health
Center, 5424 N. Madison
Ave. (closed noon to 1
p.m.)
The Visiting Nurse
Association of Tulsa also
offers H1N1 vaccinations
for $15 from 9 a.m. to 11
a.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
on mondays, Tuesdays
and Wednesdays. No
appointment is necessary.
The agency is located at
7875 E. 51st St. Proceeds
go to help the VNA provide
critical home nursing
care for the indigent. For
more information, call
743-9810.
Kim Archer 581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com
