FOUR OF the residents who died of influenza at a nursing home in Co Donegal had been vaccinated against the flu, the HSE has confirmed.
Tests have shown the outbreak of infection at Nazareth House, Fahan, near Buncrana, which claimed six lives in less than a fortnight, was caused by Influenza A (H3).
Protection against this strain of influenza was contained in the seasonal flu vaccine issued last October.
Dr Darina O’Flanagan, director of the HSE’s national Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said, however, that the vaccine, recommended by the World Health Organisation, was “not a perfect fit” for the strain in the northern hemisphere. She also said the elderly people who had died were in their 80s and 90s, and vaccines were not always as effective in that age group as they often had weakened immune systems.
The first death at the home occurred on March 22nd. There were two deaths on March 29th, one on March 31st, one on April 1st and one on April 2nd. Three of the residents had been transferred to Letterkenny General Hospital before they died, and three had died in the home.
The HSE was notified of the outbreak by a GP who had visited the home on Sunday last, April 1st.
It emerged yesterday that healthy residents living in the home were not separated from those infected until after the HSE was called in.
Five elderly residents had died of the flu before the HSE was called in. A sixth person died the following day.
Dr Peter Wright, director of public health with the HSE North West, declined to criticise the private nursing home, run by a religious congregation, but said the HSE liked to be informed as soon as possible about outbreaks.
“Nursing homes are obliged to report outbreaks of infectious disease, but it is a question of how you define an outbreak and that is down to the medical officer,” he said. “It would have been better had we been told sooner.”
Dr Wright also confirmed that one new resident was admitted to the home on Saturday, March 31st, after four of the deaths had occurred.
He said the Health Information and Quality Authority would be investigating the circumstances around the outbreak and the HSE would be carrying out its own investigation.
He also said he would be concerned that some of those who died had later lain in repose at the home and people had gathered there. He would discourage such a gathering as it would “increase the risk of spread”. A sign pointing to a wake for one of the dead was in place at the home yesterday.
Dr Wright confirmed 11 residents at the home were currently suffering symptoms. He said the HSE was concerned about “a small number of them” but he declined to elaborate.
He also said five members of staff had symptoms and four had recovered, with one still off work.
