=> God kills 2 more Colorado Children ... praise god !

Flu kills two more Colorado children
At least five youths have succumbed to virus this season

By Lisa Marshall Camera Staff Writer
December 3, 2003

Two more Colorado children have died from the flu, bringing the death toll among
children this influenza season to at least five, with a sixth death under
investigation, according to health officials.

All six deaths were among children younger than 16. Three had no other
underlying health problems when they fell ill.

A 2-year-old with no previous health problems died Sunday after several days
with flu-like symptoms. A 4-year-old with other, underlying medical problems
died of flu-related illness Monday at The Children's Hospital in Denver.

Both children were from the Thornton area, said Dr. Richard Vogt, executive
director of the Tri-County Health Department.

"This influenza season is pretty severe. People should just be vigilant to make
sure that their child stays healthy," he said.

The state does not typically track influenza deaths among adults, because they
are expected, but it is assumed that some adults have also died of the flu this
season, said Dr. Ken Gershman, chief of the communicable disease program at the
state health department.

"We are putting our efforts into accurately tracking pediatric deaths," he said.

Last week, state health officials reported the deaths of a 15-year-old, an
8-year-old and a 21-month-old from flu-related illnesses, prompting area parents
to rush to vaccine clinics and pediatricians' offices.

The two latest deaths came at the end of an extraordinarily busy holiday weekend
at area emergency rooms.

At The Children's Hospital alone, 625 children were brought to the emergency
department between Friday and Sunday with flu-like symptoms. Due to the flu
outbreak, the hospital has implemented strict restrictions on visitation,
allowing only healthy people over the age of 12 to come to the hospital to see
loved ones.

Statewide, the total of confirmed flu cases to date was 4,687 as of Monday. In
Boulder County, the total as of Tuesday afternoon was 588.

Gershman said that while the number of pediatric deaths so far this year is a
bit high, it is not unheard of for children to succumb to the flu.

In the 2000-01 season, two children, ages 6 and 7, died from influenza-related
illnesses. The 6-year-old was a kindergartner from Nederland.

Last year, a 7-year-old with previous medical problems and a 16-month-old who
was previously healthy both died after contracting the flu.

Typically, 700 to 800 people die in Colorado every year from the flu.
Nationwide, that number hovers around 36,000.

Gershman said so far, this year's strain of flu does seem to be hitting children
particularly hard.

Boulder area physicians say it is the worst flu season they have seen in
decades.

Unfortunately, health officials say, the predominant version of flu hitting the
nation right now is the Fujian strain, a different strain than the one the
influenza vaccine was made to fight.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 18 percent of the flu samples
tested so far this year have matched the Panama strain, which the vaccine was
made to fight. Eighty-two percent have been the Fujian strain.

Nonetheless, Gershman still recommends people get vaccinated for two reasons:
There is some evidence the vaccine will make their symptoms less severe, even if
it doesn't fend off the flu entirely.

And the season is young, he said.

"We easily could have another strain circulate later and those who escaped the
current illness would still be susceptible to one of the other strains," he
said. "Hopefully this wave will not continue much longer."

Boulder County Public Health will offer flu shots to children six months to 18
years of age beginning at 1 p.m. today at its North Broadway Complex. The shots
cost $15


-- 

"Naturally, the common people don't  want war;
neither in Russia nor in England nor in America,
nor for that matter in Germany.
That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders
of the country who determine the policy and
it is always a simple matter to drag the people
along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist
dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist
dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them
they are being attacked and denounce the
pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing
the country to danger. It works the same way
in any country."

           - Hermann Goering, Nazi Reichsmarshall