An estimated 55 million Americans were infected with the H1N1 swine flu from the time the disease first emerged in mid-April until mid-December, and about 11,200 people died, according to official figures.

The flu, which is no longer causing widespread activity after peaking in November in 48 states, has also led to an estimated 246,000 hospitalisations, according to statistics from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although swine flu infections are declining, health officials stress that there could be a resurgence of the disease. So they’re urging people to get vaccinated against the H1N1 virus, especially since vaccine supplies are now plentiful….. (more…)

About 11,000 Americans have died of swine flu as of last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The agency’s previous estimate — for deaths from April, when the virus was discovered, to mid-November — was about 10,000. Because the second wave peaked in late October, the number is unlikely to rise much unless there is a third wave later this winter. The estimate by the World Health Organization as of Jan… (more…)