FINLAY ALBARRAN
MEDICAL INSTITUTE
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INFLUENZA A(H1N1) MORTALITY IN THE CARIBBEAN

There has been considerable interest in the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in the Caribbean countries. While some health authorities in countries such as Cuba have linked the entry and spread of the virus others have argued to the contrary. The mortality data for the Caribbean countries for influenza A (H1N1) has been reported. The data are presented in the table below.

Island Country

Number of casualties

Mortality rate per million population.

Bahamas

4

12.9

Barbados

3

14.6

Cayman Islands

1

20.4

Cuba

41

3.5

Dominican Republic

23

2.4

Jamaica

7

2.5

St. Kitts and Nevis

2

50.0

Saint Lucia

1

6.7

Trinidad-Tobago

5

4.1

Although the island of Cuba has the greatest number of deaths reported, the mortality rate is highest in the island of St. Kitts and Nevis. The latter, an educational and business hub in the Eastern Caribbean houses a number of foreign schools in the health sciences with their concomitant regional and global travel links.

Travelers through the Caribbean and residents of the islands are advised to continue to monitor the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic closely. The administration of both the seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccines in the Caribbean are recommended for the usual risk groups including young persons, pregnant women and those suffering from illnesses that make them more vulnerable to succumb an attack by the porcine flu.

 


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