Swine flu kills seventh young and 'healthy' victim

Hodaya Arman, 25, from Migdal Ha'emek, died yesterday as a result of complications from swine flu. She had no underlying medical problems.

Arman was hospitalized a week ago yesterday in the intensive care unit of Ha'emek Medical Center, with shortness of breath and a high fever. She was diagnosed as having swine flu and was treated with Tamiflu; her condition did not improve. Since Saturday, Arman was treated with the experimental drug Peramivir, which is used for swine flu patients suffering heavy symptoms. Arman was one of seven Israelis who have died from swine flu and suffered no chronic condition; total swine flu deaths here stand at 83.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman and officials in his office were immunized yesterday against swine flu, following criticism about his failure to participate in the public campaign for flu shots. In an interview with Haaretz Friday, Litzman said: "I had a personal reason for which I have to date not been immunized, and I do not need to explain myself." He apparently received regular, seasonal flu immunization several weeks earlier.

Litzman asked to be immunized with a version of the vaccine that did not contain adjuvants, chemicals used to increase the potency of a vaccine's active ingredients. Starting this week immunization without adjuvants is possible for all Israelis.

Various publications said the vaccine without adjutants was safer, and it is the only one authorized for use in the United States. However, in Canada and Europe and Israel, the vaccine that includes adjuvants is commonly used.

To date, some 300,000 Israelis have been immunized against swine flu. Among hospital personnel the turnout for immunization has remained low; only about a quarter of the doctors have been vaccinated against swine flu, even though they could have been immunized since early November. The Health Ministry issued a list of hospitals with the percentage of medical staff who were immunized. Topping the list is Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv, with 58 percent, followed by Yoseftal Medical Center, Eiat, with 56 percent; Hadassah University Hospital, Ein-Kerem, 43 percent; Soroka Medical Center, Be'er Sheva, 41 percent; Poriya Hospital, Tiberias, and Rebecca Sieff Medical Center, Safad, 31 percent. The lowest immunization numbers among medical staff were registered at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer (18 percent); Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon (6 percent), and Bikur Holim Hospital, Jerusalem, (4 percent).

Haaretz learned that Ichilov Hospital has seen intensive efforts to up the number of staff immunized, including a text message campaign to those dubbed "refuseniks" - who have been called in by the hospital director, Roni Gamzu, to explain their failure to be immunized.