A Nova Scotia woman in her 50s has died from H1N1-related complications, health officials announced Monday.
The patient had underlying health conditions and lived in the Guysborough Antigonish Strait Health Authority district, said Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief public health officer. She died on Friday after spending several days in the intensive care unit of an Antigonish hospital.
'We certainly expect to see … more deaths related to H1N1.'—Dr. Robert Strang, chief public health officer
Her death marks the second H1N1-related casualty in Nova Scotia and the first in the current wave of the pandemic.
Annette Sampson, who died in July, was the province's first recorded death linked to the swine flu virus. She was also in her 50s and had underlying medical conditions.
"I have said many times, H1N1 and seasonal influenza are serious diseases, and unfortunately we do see deaths from them," said Strang.
"We certainly expect to see — again, unfortunately — more deaths related to H1N1 as this pandemic plays its course out."
Despite the news, people under the age of 65 with chronic medical conditions are currently not eligible to be vaccinated in Nova Scotia.
Strang said another 52,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine are expected to arrive in the province this week and health officials are deciding who will be inoculated next.
Only pregnant women, children between the ages of five months and 59 months, people under the age of 19 with chronic health conditions, First Nations communities and health-care workers are currently being immunized.
"As we get more vaccine we're looking to open up their eligibility as soon as possible," said Strang. "We've had to make some tough choices based on the epidemiology, who's at risk, but also how much vaccine."
Strang said decisions about who can get the vaccine do not depend solely on how the swine flu is affecting people in Nova Scotia.
"Our numbers are small, and we could actually make the wrong decisions based on one or two cases," he said. "We need to look at the epidemiology from a larger population and make decisions.
"I don't deny that certainly, people under 65 are one of the risk groups."
Decision chart
Meanwhile, provincial health officials unveiled a decision chart on Monday designed to help people figure out what action to take if they're sick.
Anyone with severe chest pain, severe shortness of breath, vomiting and a fever greater than 38.5 C for more than three days is urged to visit an emergency room or call 911.
The chart says children who are failing to eat or drink enough, being irritable and not urinating for 12 hours should also go to an emergency room.
"The hope is that through this decision chart, with the information we're able to present, … for people … [to] apply it to their situation and to understand for themselves and their family where the best place is for them to go," said Dr. Ken Buchholz, a physician adviser with the Department of Health.
