H1N1 Vaccine On the Way As Nine More Flu Deaths Reported

Swine flu relief might be coming soon in the form of a shot. NY1 says that White House officials are laying plans for distribution of an H1N1 vaccine by as early as October, with priority going to at-risk groups like pregnant women. That, of course, assumes no hitches in vaccine production or testing, which Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius confirms will soon be underway: "We're moving towards the likelihood of a specific vaccine for H1N1...What we need to do is make sure we have a safe vaccine." That likelihood is particularly welcome news following today's Health Department announcement of nine more New York City deaths linked to the H1N1 virus. But, as Newsday reports, the city's new swine flu death toll of 47 could get much worse if the virus mutates in time for the fall flu season, a possibility that Mayor Bloomberg says alarms him: "We're certainly worried about what happens in the fall and we're making sure that we have, to the extent we can, facilities to treat people." The latest H1N1 victims were not identified by the Health Department, but they range in ages from 25 to 65.