Woman with swine flu dies in Petah Tikva hospital; 4 people with disease treated in South

A senior Health Ministry source said it was important for pregnant women to be vaccinated in winter.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: DECEMBER 24, 2015 13:10
Vaccination against the flu (photo credit: CLALIT HEALTH SERVICES)
Vaccination against the flu
(photo credit: CLALIT HEALTH SERVICES)
A woman with pre-existing medical conditions died of the H1N1 strain of the flu known as the swine flu at the Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva on Thursday and four women with the disease were being treated at Soroka Uinversity Medical Center in Beersheba.
The woman who died in Petah Tikva was admitted to the hospital around one month ago.
Three pregnant women were admitted in recent days to Soroka and were diagnosed with H1N1.
The condition of two of the women improved since their admission and they were being kept in isolation at the hospital. The third woman was in serious condition and was in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Due to her serious condition, the hospital delivered her baby by Cesarean section on Wednesday. The infant was in stable condition and was transferred to Soroka's premature baby unit. 
A fourth, 57-year-old woman was diagnosed at Soroka with swine flu and was in serious condition and on a respirator at the hospital.
Soroka noted that none of the women in its care had received the vaccination against the disease.
The Health Ministry recommends that pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases receive the flu shot.
A senior Health Ministry source said it was important for pregnant women to be vaccinated in the winter.
"The current cases could have come about due to other chronic diseases but pregnancy is a situation in which it is recommended to vaccinate and for a pregnant woman, the regular flu can also lead to complications and even end in death," the source said.