‘Worst is over’ as winter flu levels off

THERE is evidence flu-like illnesses may have “plateaued” after reaching an all-time high earlier this month.

Intensive care consultant Dr Brian Marsh said he was hopeful the worst of the winter flu season was over.

“It is a bit early to say but the evidence coming out is perhaps we have plateaued,” he said.

A seriously-ill patient with swine flu was recently flown to Denmark for advanced ventilation treatment that is available in the Mater Hospital in Dublin, where Dr Marsh is based, but facilities are limited.

In November 2009 a number of patients who developed severe lung problems were treated abroad.

Dr Marsh said the seasonal flu this year was effectively the H1N1 virus that was experienced in 2009. The medical specialist, who was speaking on RTÉ radio, said the intensive care unit in the Mater was only able to provide advanced ventilation treatment to three patients at any given time.

He pointed out the Health Service Executive arranged treatment abroad for two patients during the current winter flu season.

Dr Marsh said hospitals in Denmark and Sweden were able to take patients from Ireland who needed the specialised treatment.

He said the recommendation from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) that all pregnant women should be given the seasonal flu vaccine was “good advice” even if they have already received the swine flu vaccine.

Although experts correctly predicted that influenza A (H1N1) 2009 would be the main virus contributing to this winter’s epidemic, the level of influenza B infection was unexpected.

A strain of influenza B has been included in this year’s seasonal vaccine as well as swine flu and another strain of influenza A.

Head of health protection with the HSE, Dr Kevin Kelleher, said the seasonal flu vaccine can be given at any stage in pregnancy.

Dr Kelleher said the recommendation followed a number of cases of influenza B infection that had been seen in recent weeks.

Doctors are being urged to recall pregnant women and those up to six weeks after giving birth who may have previously requested the flu vaccine and were not then eligible for the vaccination.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) will publish their latest flu surveillance report today.

Last week the HPSC said it expected to see continued elevated flu activity for several weeks.