(2nd LD) S. Korea reports 35th death from H1N1 flu

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES para 2-4 with new flu death report)
SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap)-- A 76-year-old South Korean man with Influenza A has
died, bringing the nation's death toll to 35 since the first fatality was
reported in mid-August, health officials said Friday.

"The man died from complications, including pneumonia and blood poisoning, caused
by the flu on Tuesday," said an official at the Ministry of Health, Welfare and
Family Affairs.
Earlier in the day, the ministry said that an 82-year-old woman infected with the
H1N1 flu virus died on Wednesday due to pneumonia and complications.
The two patients were categorized as part of the population deemed highly
susceptible to the Influenza A due to old age.
Of the total confirmed deaths, 29 were elderly people with chronic diseases, the
ministry said.
The latest death report comes as South Koreans have been spooked by a rapid
spread of the virus and a spike in the death toll this month. Recently, an
average of 8,000 people have been confirmed as having been infected with the H1N1
virus on a daily basis. Hospitals said up to 30 percent of patients that come in
with cold symptoms end up being treated for the new flu strain.
Hundreds of schools remain shut as the virus is spreading fast among students and
as a growing number of people complain of flu-like symptoms such as fever,
coughing and other respiratory problems, raising concerns that the virus could
turn into a pandemic.
The government is rushing to assuage such public fears, saying that it has a
sufficient amount of anti-viral drugs and that its recently-started vaccinations
will ease the spread of the disease.
On Tuesday, South Korea launched its first round of vaccinations under a plan to
inoculate 35 percent of the country's 49 million people. The first batch of
vaccinations are limited to medical and quarantine staff, who are far more likely
to be exposed to the virus on a daily basis and could transmit it to patients.
In a related move, the ministry said all pharmacies in the country have been
supplied with treatment drugs such as Tamiflu that will be handed out free to
anyone with a doctor's prescription.
It added that to counter the spread of Influenza A, regulators will temporarily
waive the attachment of certificate stamps on all vaccines so shots to school
children can begin around Nov. 11, one week ahead of the original schedule.
The certificate stamps are attached to signify that the product has undergone
quality inspections and are intended to prevent counterfeit medicine from
reaching consumers. The process takes 5-7 days.
Vaccination shots for children under nine years old may take a little longer to
begin since there is a need to reduce dosage for safety reasons.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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