| The clinical consultation rate for influenza - not necessarily swine flu - in Wales during the week ending 31 January fell to 3.5 cases of flu-like illness diagnosed by GPs out of every 100,000 people in Wales. It was 4.8 per 100,000 in the previous week.
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell said : “Our programme of vaccinating young children against swine flu is well under way.
“Vaccination remains the best protection for young children against the virus. The vaccine will continue to provide immunity for several years during which time the H1N1 virus is likely to still be circulating.
"Millions of doses have been given to young children across Europe and worldwide and it has been shown to be safe and effective
“The Welsh Assembly Government has produced a leaflet about vaccinating children against swine flu, and the vaccine your child will be given. You can read it on the Government website www.wales.gov.uk or ask your GP for a copy.� Current levels of flu in Wales are below the usual level for this time of year.
According to the latest data available from the Public Health Wales daily GP surveillance scheme, as at 2 February, the influenza consultation rate in Wales as a whole was 8.2 cases of flu-like illness diagnosed by GPs in the previous seven days out of every 100,000 people in Wales. This is the equivalent of 246 people contacting their GPs in the last seven days with flu-like symptoms. As at noon on 3 February, 658 laboratory confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported by Public Health Wales Health Protection Teams in Wales since the start of the outbreak. No new cases have been reported in the past week. A total of 446 people with laboratory confirmed swine flu in Wales have been admitted to hospital since the start of the outbreak. No new admissions have been reported in the past week. As at 27 January, the total number of swine flu-related deaths in Wales is 28, with no deaths reported in the past week. Latest figures show that the percentage of total calls to NHS Direct Wales which were flu-related decreased to 14.5 per cent from 15.3 per cent in the previous week.
Dr Roland Salmon, Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Public Health Wales, said: “Swine flu appears to be petering out with evidence showing only limited circulation in some parts of Wales." |
