By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-861153.mp3
Dallas, TX –
A three year old girl is believed to be Dallas County's latest swine flu death. KERA's BJ Austin says if tests confirm the H1N1 virus, it will bring the county's swine flu deaths to FOUR.
Dr. Wendy Chung, Dallas County chief epidemiologist, says the girl had multiple underlying medical conditions, including neurological problems and chronic lung disease. Dr. Chung expects confirmation of "swine flu".
Chung: Essentially 100%, 99-100% of what we are seeing circulating in our community right now is all H1N1.
Four days earlier an 11 year old Mesquite Middle school student died of swine flu and a bacterial co-infection. Two adults, both with underlying chronic medical conditions, were the first two H1N1 deaths in Dallas County.
Health Department director Zack Thompson says levels of flu are steadily increasing, and there are reports of flu in almost all Dallas County schools.
Thompson: At lot of us try to go to work, and send our kids on, and think that they're going to feel better by sending them on to school. In this situation of the flu outbreaks that we're seeing, H1N1 outbreaks, we cannot take that chance.
Thompson says the children's SEASONAL flu vaccine arrived the week, and he urges parents and children to get the "seasonal" shots. The regular' flu season usually peaks in February. The swine flu vaccine is expected to arrive the middle of next month, and will be given FIRST to priority groups identified by the Centers for Disease Control: Pregnant women; caregivers for children younger than six months; healthcare and emergency personnel; all people six months thru 24 years of age; people 25 to 64 with chronic medical conditions.