'Flu vaccination' - She didn’t think a flu shot was necessary — until her daughter died at 12.

'Flu vaccination' - She didn’t think a flu shot was necessary — until her daughter died at 12. (Napo).

Piper Lowery had a fever that soared to 40.5 degrees.

It hurt for her to walk, and she was breathing heavily, her mother said. She was also bleeding from her nose and vomiting blood.

On Jan. 16, just four days after she got sick, Piper collapsed in the parking lot of a children’s hospital in Tacoma, Wash. By then, the H1N1 flu had already attacked her kidneys.

Piper died shortly before 12:30 p.m. that day. She was 12 years old. Read the full story here.

From Health Canada:

Influenza is a respiratory illness caused primarily by the influenza A and B viruses.
While most people recover in 7 to 10 days, severe illness can occur. Some groups are at a greater risk of influenza-related complications.

It is estimated that influenza causes approximately 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in Canada each year.

FluWatch, Canada's national influenza surveillance system, provides up-to-date information about currently circulating influenza strains
Getting vaccinated against influenza each autumn is the best way to help prevent influenza infection.

There are antiviral drugs, including oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®), currently authorized for influenza treatment and prophylaxis in Canada.

Risk groups for influenza-related complications:

The people at high risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalization include:

• all pregnant women (risk increases with length of gestation)
• adults and children with the following chronic health conditions:
  • cardiac or pulmonary disorders
  • diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases
  • cancer and other immune compromising conditions
  • renal disease
  • anemia or hemoglobinopathy
  • neurologic or neurodevelopment conditions
  • morbid obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 40)
  • children up to 18 years of age undergoing treatment for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)
• residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities
• people 65 years of age and older
• all children younger than 60 months of age
• Indigenous peoples

Annual influenza vaccination is the most effective way to help prevent influenza and its complications.

Every year, NACI issues a seasonal influenza statement that informs practitioners about the vaccines authorized for use that season. Further clinical guidance regarding influenza vaccination, including vaccine administration advice and safety considerations, can be found in the Canadian Immunization Guide. More info here.

US Gov Flu mortality numbers:

• Number of deaths one year : 4,605
• Deaths per 100,000 population: 1.4

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2014, tables 10, 11

Mutated flu virus in Iran continues to kill people.

Mutated flu virus in Iran continues to kill people. (Taz).

At least 33 people have died after contracting the virus, while 600 people have been hospitalized.

At least 33 people have died from a swine flu virus outbreak in two provinces of southwestern Iran in the past three weeks, the country’s deputy health minister, Ali-Akbar Sayyari, said Monday.

Mr. Sayyari also said the virus, known as H1N1, was likely to spread to other areas, including Tehran, the capital and Iran’s largest city with about 8.3 million people.

Iranian physician Ali Shekofteh told Trend that the mutated virus has emerged due to small changes in the genes of influenza viruses that happen continually over time. He added that flu viruses usually change and mutate on a constant basis.

Shekofteh dismissed the idea that the virus came to Iran from the neighboring countries.

He said that sometimes the mentioned mutations occur when virus is transmitted to people from animals, and the consequences could be deadly.

Shekofteh explained that the virus that is currently spreading in Iran, can cause heart and lung diseases, which mostly transmit by direct contact with infected individuals.

Shekofteh agrees that the above mentioned factors prevent proper care for flu-affected patients, as the sickness intensifies and eventually leads to multiple organ failure.

Previously, Iran's health minister, Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi said the virus is spreading in Iran's south-eastern regions. Hmmmm......Perhaps time Airports take notice of this before an pandemic starts.Read the full story here.

@MFS001 pic.twitter.com/8SuufFfqX5

— Juliane Meyer (@JulianeMeyerK) December 9, 2015

HRW: EU Summit aims to shift refugee burden back to neighbors, close EU doors the refugees.

EU Summit aims to shift refugee burden back to neighbors, close EU doors the refugees. (HRW).

A European Union migration meeting set for October 8, 2015, looks set to focus yet again on shifting the EU governments' responsibilities toward refugees and asylum seekers to their neighbors, Human Rights Watch said today.

The October 8 High Level Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean-Western Balkans route is to include interior and foreign ministers from the EU member states, and Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. The stated aim of the meeting is to “increase solidarity with those bearing the brunt of refugee flows from Syria” and ensure “an orderly management of refugee and migration flows along the route.”

The meeting comes amid growing concern that the EU wants to shift responsibility for asylum seekers to the Western Balkans and Turkey. A draft EU-Turkey Action Plan published on October 6 includes, “preventing uncontrolled migratory flows from Turkey to the EU” as a core objective. Hungary has already designated Serbia a safe third country and has begun summarily returning asylum seekers there.

The draft EU-Turkey Action Plan includes a series of measures aimed at, “Prevent[ing] further arrivals of irregular migrants to Turkey and irregular departures of refugees and migrants from Turkey to the EU.” This would be achieved through combating smuggling and increased border enforcement cooperation with EU member states Greece and Bulgaria, among other measures. The plan also includes much-needed assistance to Turkey to support its hosting of Syrian and Iraqi refugees and intensified search-and-rescue operations at sea.

“The Action Plan call to prevent arrivals of irregular migrants to Turkey could easily be interpreted as a signal that the EU would be willing to look the other way as Turkey prevents Syrians and Iraqis from crossing its border to seek asylum, so long as Turkey cooperates to stem the flow of asylum seekers into the EU,” said Benjamin Ward, deputy Europe and Central Asia division director at Human Rights Watch.

A draft EU-Turkey Action Plan published on October 6 includes, “preventing uncontrolled migratory flows from Turkey to the EU” as a core objective. Hungary has already designated Serbia a safe third country and has begun summarily returning asylum seekers there.

“While increasing aid to Turkey is much needed, any EU plans to turn Turkey, Serbia, and Macedonia into dumping grounds for asylum seekers would be deeply misguided and could put lives at risk,” Ward said.

“There’s a lot the EU can do to help Turkey and the Western Balkans bring their asylum systems and reception conditions in line with international standards, but those improvements need to be made before they can be expected to take on more responsibility for asylum seekers.” Read the full story here.