Wednesday, 4 November 2009

Statement from the Ministry of Health — H1N1 Update Delivered by the LoGB, the Hon. McKeeva Bush at the Cabinet Press Briefing

While hospitalisations due to the pandemic H1N1 flu remain low in Cayman, there has been a local rise in flu activity.

Presently public health officials have recorded approximately double the number of flu cases than for the corresponding period last year. These statistics are similar in most countries around the world.

To date 105 confirmed H1N1 flu cases have been recorded in Cayman. While the majority of these were mild, one fatality unfortunately occurred.

Public health officials are currently preparing for a possible influx of flu patients, both H1N1 and seasonal, over the next few weeks.

As such, a dedicated flu clinic will open on Tuesday, 10 November. The clinic will be located in the GP Clinic at the Cayman Islands Hospital, but will have a separate entrance that is on the other end of the building. The waiting area will also be separate from the GP clinic’s waiting area to minimize exposure to other non-flu patients. There will be signs directing people.

Anyone with flu-like symptoms should go straight to the dedicated clinic and should NOT use the main entrance of the GP Clinic. The separation will also ensure that patients who might indeed have flu will be fast-tracked.

And while we are still waiting for the arrival of the H1N1 vaccine, the annual Health Services Authority/Public Health seasonal flu vaccination campaign is already underway. To date 1,600 people have been vaccinated.

We encourage the public – and especially those who are at high risk of serious complications when contracting the flu – to take advantage of this free vaccine offer.