Plea after pregnant woman dies from swine flu

THE death of the first pregnant woman from swine flu has prompted the state’s chief medical officer to urge expectant mothers to get vaccinated against the virus.

The woman did not have an underlying illness but, because of her pregnancy, was in danger of developing serious complications from the swine flu, including pneumonia.

The Department of Health’s chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said the death of the pregnant woman underlined the need for expectant mothers to get the vaccine.

“We continue to stress the importance of vaccination in pregnancy,” Dr Holohan said last night.

A young girl has also died from the virus, bringing the total number of deaths in the Republic to 16 since the pandemic began last July.

The girl, who had an underlying illness, and the pregnant woman were from the east of the country.

The pregnant woman’s death follows a warning three weeks ago that up to 2,000 pregnant women in Ireland could become seriously ill after contracting swine flu and that it was potentially fatal.

The Institute of Obstetricians warned that pregnant women who contracted the virus were four times more likely to develop serious complications from the virus.

It urged vaccination in pregnancy after 14 weeks and up to six weeks after giving birth.

Director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dr Darina O’Flanagan, said more than 5,000 pregnant women had been vaccinated against swine flu.

A spokesperson for the HSE would not say if the pregnant woman who died received the vaccine which takes two weeks to become effective.

Little detail was given about the two victims at the latest swine flu update given by the Department of Health last night to protect their identity.

There are currently 191 people hospitalised with the virus, with 22 in intensive care.

There were also about 27,000 people infected with the virus in the past week, slightly down on the 30,000 for the previous week.

Since the vaccination campaign began over 100,000 people have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.

The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has received 113 suspected adverse reaction reports in relation to the two vaccines being used and pointed out that all were within the expected safety profile.

IMB medical director Dr Joan Gilvarry said 13 pregnant women had experienced a reaction to either one of the two vaccines.

Meanwhile, health officials in the North said another person had died after contracting swine flu, bringing the total number of deaths there to 11.

* The HSE’s 24-hour flu information line, on Free-phone [phone], provides up-to-date recorded information on swine flu.