-
Source: Reuters -
Related
The H1N1 flu crisis has worsened Tuesday morning with news a baby is the latest suffering from the virus.
The 9-month -old baby is in Starship Hospital in Auckland after developing severe symptoms of the flu.
The infant is believed to be the youngest person admitted to intensive care with the virus.
The baby has been in hospital since the end of last month.
Meanwhile, clinical testing is underway on a new swine flu vaccine.
The government is hauling in 300,000 doses of a yet-to-be licensed vaccine for our front line health staff but even they won't be able to get it for months.
It is thought licensing will not be complete before December.
Virologist Lance Jennings says there is a risk the vaccine will not be effective if the virus mutates.
Jennings says while we have no way of predicting what the virus will do, there is also no evidence of it mutating yet.
The vaccine is cold comfort for most New Zealanders, as the official number of cases in the country passes the 1000 mark and it is seeing the country's health-line and GPs run off their feet.
As well as the baby in Starship, a man is in intensive care in Gisborne with suspected H1N1 and a 17-year- old woman is in a serious condition in Wellington Hospital.
Both were otherwise healthy.
