3 more swine flu deaths in B.C.

Three more deaths linked topandemicH1N1 swine flu have been confirmed in B.C., bringing the total number to 12, but provincial health officials say all but one of the victimshad underlying health problems.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control said Tuesday one of the recentdeaths occurred in the Interior Health region, while the other two occurred in the Fraser Health region, bringing the total number of deaths in that area to seven.

The Centre does not identify victims, but did report that two of the victims were women between the ages of 40 and 64, and one was a man in his 40s.

Meanwhile the number of people hospitalized with the virus jumped by 88 cases in the past week, nearly doubling the total number of hospital cases in B.C. to 199 as of Oct. 27.

Long lines for vaccines

The news comes as hundreds of people lined up for a second day at clinics and doctors offices around B.C., anxious to get vaccinated againstthe virus.

Because there is limited supply of the vaccine this week, health authorities are asking otherwise healthy people to wait until more vaccine becomes available in mid-November before going to get vaccinated.

As of Monday morning, clinics across B.C. started offering free vaccinations to:

• Pregnant women past their 20th week.
• Adults under 65 with chronic medical conditions such as lung, heart, kidney or liver disease, diabetes or who are immunosuppressed.
• Persons including First Nations people living in remote and isolated settings or communities.

Starting the week of Nov. 2, the people eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine will expand to include the following groups:

• All initial groups.
• Children six months to less than five years of age.
• Health-care workers (including all health-care system workers involved with the pandemic response or delivery of essential health services).
• Those who live with or care forinfants less than six months of age and those who live with or care for immune-compromised persons.

In mid-November, everyone else who needs and wants the H1N1 vaccine should be able to receive it, health officials say.