Swine flu hospital admissions top 500

Photo / Natalie Slade

Swine flu is continuing to spread in New Zealand, with some areas reporting higher hospital inpatient rates than during last year's pandemic.

So far 10 deaths have been linked to pandemic influenza H1N1 this year, director of public health Mark Jacobs said.

As at midday yesterday, there had this year been 501 admissions of people with lab-confirmed pandemic influenza H1N1, with 16 currently in intensive care with confirmed H1N1.

Dr Jacobs said there had this year been a total of 77 admissions of confirmed H1N1 to intensive care units.

The figures did not include influenza-like illness among people admitted to hospital without a positive H1N1 lab test result.

Six of 10 deaths linked to swine flu had been confirmed as being caused by the illness.

The latest was a Taranaki woman who died last week and had tested positive for H1N1. The woman, who was in her 50s, had underlying medical conditions.

Pandemic influenza H1N1 is the most common strain circulating in the community, although most will not be tested for it.

For the majority it is a mild to moderate illness, but for some it can be serious.

Symptoms of influenza can include a high fever, headache, cough, sore throat, tiredness and aching all over.

Dr Jacobs said to allow the Ministry of Health flexibility, it had reached an agreement with Sanofi who will supply up to 35,000 doses of Intanza for the subsidised influenza immunisation programme.

Intanza provides protection against the same strains of influenza as Vaxigrip, the brand currently in use, including swine flu.

Intanza is approved only for use in people aged 18 to 59 and only individuals with chronic conditions, obese individuals or pregnant women in this age range would be subsidised.

- NZPA