Updated 6:30 p.m.: Health department confirms first H1N1 death in Washtenaw County

If only at-risk people are supposed to go in for treatment (pregnant women, people with health issues) when they have flu symptoms, what are we supposed to make of people with "no underlying health problems" die? For that matter, what are we supposed to make of health officials telling us that at-risk people should have priority for the vaccine? What makes someone die from the flu, as opposed to just getting over it? What can we do about it if we get sick, in other words. If you could even point me to an article that explains this, it would be great.

Newspeople should really press for more information on this. Why, for example, would it be bad for us to know when this person passed away?

Sam, I agree. Why so secretive? I think health officials make people even more paranoid when they do not give good information after a death from an illness. Don't we all think: what are they hiding?
They do not and should not give names...but the age of the person, whether they had been hospitalized long etc...just to give people a bit of comfort that they have some knowledge.

A good example of my concern about the "garden of misinformation" from health officials: they say people over 64 yrs old can't get a vaccination because they aren't in a targeted group.... and yet the oldest person on Michigan to die of it is 72. Hey, excuse me but that's over 64.
Sometimes I wonder if I can count on anything I read about the H1N1 flu.

Has anybody else read the Obituaries on this site today? This seems pretty easy to figure out, I think.

Actually, the obituarities record someone dying from complications of the flu on November 14th at the age of 37. He was from Ann Arbor. Very sad, so young. My heart goes out to his family.

Why is it so important to know who it was and when? And why would you think there is something to hide? Is knowing going to make you safer? What comfort can you possibly get from know the details of this unfortunate death? It

Calm down people and stop acting like chickens with their heads cut off. The swine flu is much milder than what we were lead to believe and less deadly than your average flu. The swine flu has killed less than 6,000 WORLDWIDE and the average flu kills 36,000 people annually just here in the U.S. Also, according to the latest CDC report, the swine flu, just like the average flu, kills people with underlying problems and those between 50-59. But, again, it is less dangerous than the average flu. If you have not taken the vaccine, best bet is not to take it. As they say, the cure is far worse than the illness. Take high doses of vitamin D, eat well, exersize and reduce stress. Far better than putting toxic, dangerous, foreign substances in your body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r051fXtfng8&feature=player_embedded

Go Blu,

"Also, according to the latest CDC report, the swine flu, just like the average flu, kills people with underlying problems and those between 50-59."

Seasonal flu tends to kill more elderly people.
Yet the deaths in Michigan from H1N1 have been 2-72 years old.
That's not the seasonal flu pattern.
Also, in the article above, the man did not have underlying conditions, according to the report.

Your comparison by numbers isn't really pertinent because the "flu season" as defined has barely begun...and runs through May.
So we have NO idea how many deaths will occur from H1N1 yet.

Your opinion about not taking the vaccine is just that...your opinion. However, people should use get medical advice from their physician. Even if people don't care about their own health, they should care about exposing others to a flu virus that kills.

http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

The death did not seem to be from the "at risk" list. How is it that the government creates an "at risk" list, then people die outside of it. Seems like the government is not the correct person to ask health care information from. Of the deaths from swine flu, most were adults, not the children on the list. Maybe this government wants to kill off all the adults that do not want to follow it's agendna.

Several comments were removed because they were speculating about the identity of the person who died. Please refrain from such speculation. Comments that do this will be removed. Thank you.

Because they stopped testing for H1N1 months ago, how do they really know how many people have died from it? There is some slightly better flu coverage by flutracker.com. I don't trust the official numbers and have not for quite some time. Dr. Niman's flutracker site is slightly better, though I think it's based on some official data.

The media has created a panic about the swine flu, & there really is no point to the hysteria. As other posters have indicated, seasonal flu kills thousands yearly. Chicken pox even kills hundreds per year. My spouse and 12 year old son were two of the confirmed H1N1 cases in late Oct., and other than GI distress and a residual cough there was absolutely nothing even remotely alarming about their illness' symptoms. My other kids and I didn't get H1N1 either, despite being around the two sickies. H1N1 is just another bug.

congratulations cindy and tina. you are both inspirations to the entire organization. what an informative piece. clearly we have nothing to worry about.

Cash,

"Even if people don't care about their own health, they should care about exposing others to a flu virus that kills." Not if the vaccine is dangerous and if the whole hysteria is manufactured to enrich the vaccine manufacturers. So far, the swine flu is LESS dangerous than your average flu, yet many people are under constant fear. Power of propaganada.

There are numerous indications that the swine flu peaked in October around Holloween. If it already peaked and less than 6,000 people died worldwide, I highly doubt it is going to do that much more damage. Hysteria is being created by our government and media to give our tax money to big pharma and maybe worse with all the toxins being put into various vaccines. Autism rate in the U.S. is now up to 1 in 100. Autism rate in the Amish community, where they do not vaccinate, 1 in 15,000. Connect the dots.

I cannot believe so many people fell for this dud.
http://blog.puppetgov.com/2009/11/16/stats-to-help-keep-swine-flu-in-perspective/

My son got the swine flu in October and he has asthma so I was watching for the serious cough. He was midly sick and starting to feel better when he starting coughing alot. I took him in right away and he had already started wheezing and needed a steroid. Please do not panick but just monitor yourself or family very closoly for respitory problems and if you have questions or concerns go to the doctor or call.It is a very tricky virus where you do not neccesarily feel that ill but just watch your breathing and for return of fever. I hope this helps and you should be fine as lomg as you stay on top of it. cindy

GoBlu, of course the Amish are going to have a far lower incidence of autism -- not because they don't vaccinate, but because they don't relentlessly pursue medical diagnoses until their kids are labeled with conditions such as ADHD and autism, like the rest of America does. Part of the Amish faith is to shun anything they consider worldly, and from what I've read about the Plain People, they don't see conditions like these as anything other than being a little different at the very least and a trial set by God at the worst. They don't take a kid and hire an "English" driver to take them to the nearest medical facility for confirmation that the child is autistic. They simply accept God's will and continue living their lives. If the rest of America did the same, there would be far fewer diagnoses of autism, ADHD, OCD, and most of the other psychological conditions that have come to the fore in the last 20 years.

Obviously people are dying who are not in any 'priority' group. Since I am not in any priority group, what should one do to avoid death from H1N1? Lots has been written on trying to prevent or avoid getting the H1N1 flu, but little has been written about the causes of death and how to avoid dying. That's the information the Health Department should be distributing to those they won't give the vaccine to!

The point is not WHO died, but more that I think its being underreported- yet speculation on an internet board will do not one bit of good. I also don't trust the info being given out to the media- but it's what's being given out. They can only report what is said- and speculation is just that. The families have no obligation to share- their grief is fresh and new and respecting this process is essential.

H1N1 is serious if you are one of those that have it and your body can't fight it off. It's not all (my husband and son had it) bad, but for those that are hospitalized, it is serious. Those that are ending up on Ecmo are not fairing well at all. .

We know some things- over weight people seem to fair more poorly, and it is affecting the younger population more then the older, which is a deviant from the normal seasonal flu. There is also a higher level of people seen that have no previous medical condition- which is concerning.

Moral seems to be- be aware, take care and watch for signs that indicate problems- just as you'd do for the normal flu. But don't underestimate the possible consequences.

First off, "Big Pharma" doesn't get rich off vaccines. These are no Viagra cash-cow. Secondly, some Amish people do vaccinate and some don't. There's no hard-and-fast rule there. Secondly, your "statistics" about the rate of autism and the Amish are also false. A quick google can show the facts there. Please take reasonable precautions and do your homework about vaccines and the illnesses they prevent. There's lots of real science out there. Trust what's verifiable.

I have heard rumor's that a young lady from Pioneer high school has become parylized due to the H1N1 vaccination. I would really like to know if this is true. ANNARBOR.COM, any info on this.

For the record their was no speculation on identity of the person who died in my comment, or what the person died from. I talked with family today and confirmed.

The chart in this article is too small to read, but there is no link to a bigger version?

Barb,

I've done my research. Per United Press International (UPI), autism rates in the Amish community is 1 in 15,000. Some of the children that got autism are the ones that vacinnated.

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/autism-autism-spectrum-article/autism-rate-us-1-166-amish-1-15-000/389502

You have to be kidding. Big pharma are not making money on vaccines. This is their staple. Where else can big pharma make money so easily. Our government mandates that children be vaccinated in order to go to school. Here, Baxter Pharma, who happens to be in Illinois, home town of Obama, reported profits BECAUSE of their swine flu vaccine. Obama declared this dud, a national emergency. More scare mongering.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/jul/17/business/chi-fri-baxter-swine-flu-0717-jul17

Please do you homework before telling me I am wrong. Also, please use a little common sense. If the autism rate in the U.S. is 1 in 100, something is seriously wrong. Vaccines that contain mercury seems to be a good place to start to point fingers.

Please inform yourself. This country is a mess because the voting public is so uninformed. Just like how 80% of the people believed Iraq had WMDs and a nuclear program. Our government rules by fear and Iraq and the swine flu are perfect examples. Wake up!

GoBlu, your link about the Amish and Autism points to an "article" where the author was severely criticized for not being objective. I'm not sure that proves your case. Also, the fact that it's the only article of its kind on all the anti-vax websites also speaks volumes.

And I didn't say vaccinations weren't profitable. I said they aren't as big money makers as drugs which is accurate. Just because they turn a profit doesn't mean that everyone's up to nefarious deeds.

You're going to have to show a bit research than links to anti-vax scare sites.

Interesting article about Autism and Amish:
http://autism.about.com/b/2008/04/23/do-the-amish-vaccinate-indeed-they-do-and-their-autism-rates-may-be-lower.htm

Dan, a link to the full-size chart is now provided in the caption.

Barb,

Please think for yourself and do not rely on what the establishment tells you.

Is Robert Kennedy Jr. a conspiracy theorist when he claims vaccines are causing autism? You'd have to be pretty naive to believe there is no link between vaccines and autism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrIM2hwrLoc

Court rules in favor or injured.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9acro_channel-seven-investigation-the-ris_news

Opps, wrong link. Correct one is here.

Court rules in favor of the injured.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTuMSCZhv78

I didnt speculate either in my comment , I work with a family member of the 48yr old man who died

I am 58 years old with Diabetes, yet the nurse at my physician's says I am not at greater risk for H1N1, therefore, they will not be giving me the vaccine. Why?

julieswhimsies: It's not that you are not at increased risk, but there is a limited amount of the vaccine and there were other priority groups that health officials feared were at even higher risk that you are. For example, medical workers and pregnant women were among those first in line to get the vaccine. The vaccine clinic on Sunday at the EMU's Convocation Center is offering vaccine to more priority groups to include those aged 25 through 64 with underlying health conditions like diabetes. If you health care provider still isn't able to give you the vaccine, you might be able to get it at Sunday's clinic.

2 clinics, 6,000 vaccines given, county pop. 350,000. There was a year to prepare, what if this was 20x as fatal?
I am in the risk group and haven't been able to get a vaccine.
NO info on how much vaccine is available Sunday..Why is this information kept secret? I have to drive from the west (forgotten) side of the county to see if there out again?

mbill you may want to rethink your fate. Maybe you have been selected as one of the spared. This is an official released statement. I would be counting my lucky stars that you didnt get it!! Ciao

In a normal round of flu, about 250,000 people worldwide succumb to garden variety flu, and this year, H1N1 or no H1N1, the numbers rolling in are consistent with past years. As of October 30, about 5,000 worldwide have died of the H1N1 strain of flu, including approximately 100 Canadians. Chances of dying of H1N1 are 250,000 to one. You are 20 times more likely to die in a car accident than you are of dying of H1N1.