Nicola Sturgeon says swine flu is on decline despite 15% rise in cases in past week

Published on Thursday 31 December 2009 21:42

THE number of people believed to have caught swine flu in Scotland rose by almost 15 per cent last week, figures revealed yesterday.

It is estimated that 7,240 people across Scotland caught the infection in the past seven days: a 14.7 per cent increase on the previous week's total of 6,310.

But health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the number infected fluctuated from week to week and the number of cases has generally been in decline.

This week's rise does not mean the pandemic is growing again, she added.

A total of 62 people with swine flu have died since H1N1 hit Scotland. This week's figures show that the rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses was 113.3 per 100,000, up from last week's rate of 97.4 per 100,000.

The number of samples that tested positive for H1N1 also increased, from 14.8 per cent to 17.9 per cent. As of Wednesday, a total of 1,474 swine flu victims have needed hospital treatment, with 35 people admitted to hospital in the past week.

About 45 per cent of pregnant women and 45 per cent of at-risk under-65s have been vaccinated against swine flu, as have 38 per cent of people aged 65 or above and in a priority group.

And about half of all frontline health workers and about a third of social care workers have been given the vaccination.