TAIPEI: A 10-year-old boy has become the sixth person to die of the A (H1N1) flu in Taiwan, the Central Epidemics Command Center reported late yesterday.

The latest victim from Tongshih, Taichung county died yesterday afternoon.

The boy was hospitalized on August 26 at Veterans' General Hospital Taichung City, said Hsiao Chun-ying, acting chief of the county's health bureau. Hsiao said the boy, with multiple handicaps, was confirmed on admission to be suffering from swine flu.

Yesterday afternoon Hsiao said the boy was diagnosed with pneumonia. After a sharp drop in the child's blood, he died.

The number of patients requiring hospitalization for treatment of the virus climbed to 104 as nine more were ordered to hospital yesterday.

Forty-one of those patients are still in hospital.

Those aged between 25 and 49 form the largest group among hospitalized patients, Centers for Disease Control Director-General Steve Kuo said.

The second-largest group are those aged between 1 and 6, followed by the 7-12 age group, Kuo said.

Among the 41 patients remaining in the hospital is a 34-year-old man - Taiwan's first patient hospitalized for the new flu strain - who has shown no improvement since he was admitted to an intensive care unit on July 10, he said.

The flu outbreak is expected to reach its peak in January.

According to Kuo, it is difficult to predict when the current A (H1N1) flu epidemic will reach its peak.

While Taiwan's annual flu season usually peaks in January, the outbreak has added uncertainty to the situation, because it could advance or delay the peak, Kuo said.

In preparation for the arrival of the flu season this winter, the Department of Health will from October provide free inoculations against seasonal flu to groups considered at high risk of infection, such as children, the elderly and healthcare workers.

The inoculation against A (H1N1) flu will begin in mid-November, with pregnant women, healthcare workers, school children and teenagers being chosen as the priority recipients.

Addressing public concerns about the safety of receiving both vaccines, Kuo said there have been no reports showing it is unsafe to do so.

China Daily

(HK Edition 09/04/2009 page2)