India’s H1N1 toll 15 short of 1400 mark
POSTED March 5, 2010 - 14:59 | POSTED BY Kangna Agarwal
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on March 5, 2010 - 15:34
With two more lives being snuffed out Thursday, the death toll in the nation has reached 1,385 so far.
Both these deaths reported from Maharashtra had occurred in the recent days but were confirmed by the respective state's health authorities yesterday.
There has been no record of any fatalities on the day itself.
Number of latest infections across the nation
According to the official sources, 18 indigenous cases of the contagion were confirmed on Thursday, including 16 in Maharashtra and two in Karnataka.
With the latest cases coming to light, the total number of positive cases of H1N1 confirmed by both the government and private laboratories across the nation has risen to 29,762.
State-wise death count
Maharashtra--the epicenter of swine flu outbreak in India--continues to be the worst affected state till date.
As many as 372 people lost their battle with swine flu in the state, the highest death count in the country so far.
Also, 295 people succumbed to the lethal influenza in Gujarat, 194 in Rajasthan, and 148 in Karnataka.
The total swine flu deaths in other states are as follows: 95 in Delhi, 52 in Andhra Pradesh, 40 in Punjab, 38 in Haryana, 37 in Kerala, 26 in Madhya Pradesh, 19 in Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Uttarakhand, 11 in Chhattisgarh, eight each in Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, seven in Tamil Nadu, six in Puducherry, five in Goa, four in Jammu & Kashmir, three in Orissa, two in Assam, and one each in Mizoram and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
Vaccination trial
Meanwhile, mass vaccination against the deadly contagion is likely to begin next week in the country.
According to health officials, the 1.5 million doses of the swine flu vaccines imported from the Sanofi Pasteur, French vaccine manufacturers, have passed the safety trials.
"The trials of the vaccine have proven its safety profile. By Friday, we will vet the results and give its clearance for use on humans in India. By next week, the vaccination should begin," Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr Surinder Singh was quoted by TOI as saying.
On the other hand, India's indigenous H1N1 vaccine is also expected to be available by April 15. It is expected to cost between Rs 80 and Rs 100.
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