PORTLAND — Local emergency rooms are quickly filling up with flu victims and doctors said they are seeing a rise in H1N1, also known as swine flu, which caused a pandemic back in 2009.
A 5-year-old boy from Eugene died from the flu at Oregon Health & Science University after falling ill on Christmas day, according to officials from the hospital.
A neighbor saw emergency crews at the boy’s home on Christmas day and news of the child’s death came as a shock.
“It’s just sad very devastating. I couldn’t imagine what they might be going through,” said Tim Yali.
The flu has been spreading all over the country and state officials now consider flu activity widespread in Oregon. Dr. Mo Daya works at OHSU. He said he expected to see more cases of the flu.
So far, at least two people have died of the flu in Oregon and 81 people have been hospitalized.
“It can become bad, very quickly,” Daya said. “In the time I’ve worked in the last two weeks, every shift has had at least one or two positive cases. At least one or two each sift have been admitted to the ICU.”
Daya said there is a vaccine for the swine flu that’s not perfect but can help.
“The vaccine is the best preventative thing we have today. I encourage everyone who hasn’t had the vaccine to get out and get the vaccine to try to protect this from occurring,” he said.
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KGW reporter Art Edwards contributed to this report.
http://www.king5.com/news/local/2-dead-81-hospitalized-in-Oregon-H1N1-flu-cases–238792011.html
I feel for the folks who lost a loved one due to this or any illness,that said,will not get vaccinated.