VZCZCXRO4696
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHBS #1400/01 2931355
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201355Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9572
RUEAUSA/HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 001400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC AMED CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO
PREL, PINR, AMGT, TF, BE 
SUBJECT: BELGIUM: THREE MORE H1N1-RELATED DEATHS REPORTED 
THROUGH OCTOBER 19; RAPID OCTOBER INCREASE IN H1N1 CASES 
BRINGS TOTAL TO ABOVE 20,000 
 
REFS: A) BRUSSELS 1347; B) BRUSSELS 1055 
 
BRUSSELS 00001400  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  Three more Belgians have died in mid-October from the 
A/H1N1 virus, bringing the total of deaths related to the 
pandemic to five.  Belgian health authorities announced on 
October 18 the death of a 43-year old man on October 15; his 
death closely followed that of a 5-year old boy on October 14, 
and a 37-year old woman on October 11.  The man and child had 
known risk factors, the woman did not, according to the 
Government.  Meanwhile, the number of estimated cases of H1N1 
rose sharply the week of October 5 to 11, to 7,534 cases, 
bringing the total number of estimated positive cases in 
Belgium since the beginning of the outbreak in April 2009 to 
over 20,000.  The Government began its voluntary H1N1 
vaccination campaign on October 18, starting with the 
country's health-care workers in hospitals, and to be followed 
this week by general practitioners.  When more vaccines become 
available in early November, the Government plans on 
vaccinating remaining healthcare workers not included 
initially (remaining nurses, home-care nurses, pharmacists), 
as well as at-risk groups (pregnant women, parents of children 
under six months, teachers and employees of child-care 
centers).  End summary. 
 
Three More H1N1-related Deaths Bring Total to Five 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶2.  On October 18, Belgium's Interministerial Influenza 
Commission (IIC), the coordinating entity of the Government 
regarding pandemic influenza, announced it had learned that 
day of the October 15 H1N1-related death of a 43-year man from 
Liege province (Wallonia).  The man had an undisclosed 
underlying condition that placed him in an at-risk group for 
the virus.  On October 14, after an emergency health-care team 
came to his residence, the man was admitted into a hospital 
with acute double pneumonia.  His medical condition continued 
to worsen and he developed new complications.  The country's 
Public Health Institute later confirmed the positive H1N1 
test. 
 
¶3.  The IIC also announced October 16 that a 5-year old boy 
from Hainaut province (Wallonia region) who had multiple risk 
factors died on October 14 as a result of the A/H1N1 virus. 
The child first came down with a fever and respiratory 
difficulties on October 8; his health worsened and he was 
admitted to the hospital on October 9 and given antiviral 
medication.  His situation continued to worsen, however.  The 
country's Public Health Institute confirmed the positive H1N1 
test on October 15. 
 
¶4.  On October 13, the IIC informed that the third Belgian 
death related to the A/H1N1 virus had taken place on October 
11, of a 37-year old woman from Antwerp province who had no 
known risk factors linked to H1N1.  The woman first began 
showing flu symptoms on September 26; her health continued to 
worsen and she was admitted to the hospital on October 3 with 
double pneumonia and at that time was put on an artificial 
respirator.  The country's Public Health Institute confirmed 
the positive H1N1 test on October 13.  Belgium's second H1N1 
death occurred in early October (ref A), and that victim also 
had no known risk factors.  The first fatality linked to H1N1 
occurred at the end of July (ref B); that patient did have 
pre-existing medical conditions. 
 
Total Number of H1N1 Cases Jumps Above 20,000 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  On October 16, the IIC also announced an estimated 7,534 
new cases of the H1N1 virus in Belgium for the week of October 
5 to 11, bringing the total number of estimated cases in 
Belgium since the H1N1 outbreak began in April 2009 to 20,100. 
There were an estimated 4,160 new cases of H1N1 in Belgium for 
the week of September 28 to October 4, and an estimated 1,792 
positive cases the week of September 21-27.  Belgium ceased 
testing individuals in July 2009, when the World Health 
Organization declared that H1N1 virus had reached the pandemic 
level, and since then has used its system for estimating 
positive cases, which relies on data based on cases of 
patients who visit the approximately 180 doctors who make up 
the national H1N1 network. 
 
¶6.  At the same time it announced the fourth H1N1-related 
death on October 16, the IIC indicated that while the number 
of positive cases was continuing to rise, the mortality rate 
 
BRUSSELS 00001400  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
of H1N1 was normal for this period of the year. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Belgium's Vaccination Campaign Starts October 18 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶7.  The Influenza Commission reported October 16 that the 
Government would begin the first phase of its vaccination 
campaign against the H1N1 pandemic flu starting October 18, 
with the delivery of vaccines to all Belgian hospitals. 
Doctors, nurses, interns, doctors-in-training and medical 
staff will be the first to receive the vaccine, on a voluntary 
basis.  Later this week, Belgium's general practitioners will 
receive vaccines.  These two groups of health care workers 
(the so-called 'first and second line' of health-care 
defenders) are being vaccinated first to ensure that the 
country's health-care system will be functional during a 
pandemic, and to prevent any transmission of the H1N1 virus by 
health-care workers to patients.  As soon as sufficient stocks 
of the vaccine become available in early November, the second 
phase of the vaccination campaign will begin, to cover any 
remaining health-care professionals (including nurses, in-home 
nurses, pharmacists), and persons belonging to a group deemed 
especially at risk for the virus, such as pregnant woman in 
their second and thrd trimester of pregnancy, parents of 
childre less than six months old, teachers, and day-care 
providers.  The ICC will be responsible for informing targeted 
groups about the practical aspects of the upcoming vaccination 
process. 
 
GUTMAN