Cranbury man dies from swine flu

[MyCentralJersey]

Cranbury man dies from swine flu
By LEO D. ROMMEL • STAFF WRITER • November 4, 2009

MIDDLESEX COUNTY — A Middlesex County man has become the 20th person in the state to die from the swine-flu virus, officials said.

David A. Papi, Middlesex County's public health director, said the victim was a 42-year-old Cranbury resident who, according to state Department of Health and Senior Services spokeswoman Donna Leusner, had been hospitalized because of other medical issues.
The man was hospitalized on Oct. 19 and died on Oct. 23, Leusner said. The victim's name and details about his medical conditions were not released.
Leusner said 20 New Jersey residents have died from the H1N1 virus — commonly referred to as swine flu — since April.
New Jersey has ordered 1.4 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine and has received about 776,100 doses, which have been sent to 1,330 different health-care providers, according to Leusner.

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20091104/NEWS/911040390/-1/newsfront/Cranbury-man-dies-from-swine-flu

[Cranbury Press]

CRANBURY: Session to focus on H1N1 virus
Thursday, November 5, 2009 5:35 PM EST
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

CRANBURY — With four Cranbury School students being sent home with flu-like symptoms recently and officials attempting to organize an H1N1 vaccination schedule, the township will hold an information session Monday on the so-called swine flu.

Daniel Notterman, chairman of the Cranbury Township Board of Health, will conduct the session, giving an overview and answering questions, Mayor Pari Stave said.

”We will cover the importance of different virus strains, the types of vaccines — seasonal and H1N1; live and killed — vaccine safety, and how these viruses affect people by causing the flu,” Dr. Notterman said in an e-mail. “It will also be important to talk about the specific groups that are most likely to have serious complications.”

The H1N1 virus is a respiratory disease with genes similar to a virus found in pigs, causing symptoms that include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and headaches. The Centers for Disease Control has determined the virus is contagious, but does not know how easily it can be spread from human to human.

President Barack Obama declared a national health emergency last month, which gives federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius emergency powers to waive federal rules and allow hospitals and other health-care facilities to create emergency operations plans.
MSNBC has reported more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the H1N1 influenza.

That’s why Cranbury is holding its session.

”We want to make sure that people have access to the information,” Mayor Stave said.

School officials were unsure this week what kind of virus the students were suffering from, but they wanted to be safe.

”We don’t know if it’s the swine flu, the flu or something else,” said Chief School Administrator John Haney.

In addition, police have been in talks with school officials, local businesses and community leaders about H1N1 vaccination availability.

Although there is no timeline, and no one has been notified as to the amount of vaccination the township will have available, the Middlesex County Health Department will run the vaccination program. Vaccinations are likely to take place after Thanksgiving, said Police Chief Ed Kahler.

Priority will be given, in order, to Cranbury School students, emergency medical workers and other health-care workers, police and firefighters and the general public.

”The whole program is voluntary,” Chief Kahler said.

He expects the vaccinations to be free.

”We always urge people to consult their doctor before engaging in any type of inoculation,” he said.

The township is eyeing a South River Road business along with the Cranbury School as possible sites for vaccination distribution, he said.

The H1N1 session will be held in the Cranbury Municipal Building, 23 N. Main St., at 7 p.m. Monday. Contact municipal officials at 609-395-0900 for more information.

”Residents should attend if they would like an update on the flu and on what they can do to reduce the chance that they or their children will contract influenza or, if they do, to reduce the chance of a poor outcome,” Dr. Notterman said. “They should check online resources — www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu or www.state.nj.us/health/flu/h1n1.shtml.”

http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2009/11/05/cranbury_press/news/doc4af3530753fee121909555.txt