by Erick Galindo
While the United States prepares for theworst, Latin America is mired in “swine flu” cases, with Costa Rica’s Nobel Prize-winning President Oscar Arias as one of its more notable new victims.
The deaths of 1,274 persons in the Americas have been attributed to the H1N1 pandemic as of Aug. 7, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
In Argentina, fatalities have more than doubled to 337 in the last month, reported the country’s health ministry, further damaging that country’s faltering economy with its impact on tourism. Deputy health minister, Máximo Diosque stated he expects to confirm another 400 deaths. Argentina has a total of 5,710 confirmed cases.
If the projection is correct, the Argentine death toll will surpass the U.S. total of 335 as the world’s highest. Other hemisphere counts include Mexico at 146, Chile at 96 and Brazil at 92.
The Americas account for 87 percent of H1N1- related deaths and 60 percent (102,905) of all confirmed cases. Twenty of the 35 countries that report to the PAHO have confirmed cases.
Health ministries including the PAHO and World Health Organization, are warning that children and pregnant women are the most susceptible.
Mexico, where the first outbreak occurred, reported no new deaths but a sharp increase in new cases. As Canada, Mexico and the United States prepare for flu season, there has been a shift in the policy of closing schools, churches and other areas of large public occupancy.
The WHO is combating news that the anticipated vaccine may be dangerous because of the rapid approval being sought.
“The public needs to be reassured that regulatory procedures in place for the licensing of pandemic vaccines, including procedures for expediting regulatory approval, are rigorous and do not compromise safety or quality controls,” WHO said.
Education and vaccine development are being stressed as fall school openings coincide with flu season. President Obama and his top advisers spent part of last week discussing the matter.
“We have been monitoring what’s been happening in the Southern Hemisphere and, although it has not received as much publicity as it did in the spring, the possibility of a very severe flu that kills a lot of people or makes a lot of people sick still exists,” the president said. TV programs such as Sesame Street — Plaza Sésamo in Latin America — are being used to educate children with the basic health tips.
In this country, there is a special focus on Hispanics. The Latino community and others that tend to be lower income and don’t have health insurance are much more vulnerable, President Obama noted on release of the White House’s comprehensive website www.flu.gov. “We want to make sure that information is getting out as systematically as possible over the next several weeks.”
Latino, Black Unemployment Rates Remain Highest
The overall monthly unemployment rate dropped in July for the first time in more than a year, prompting a glimmer of optimism for recession’s end. It dipped from 9.5 percent in June to 9.4 percent in July.
The rates for blacks, at 14.5 percent, and Hispanics at 12.3 percent, showed little change and continue well above the national rate. Payroll job losses were reduced by 247,000 following a 443,000 loss in June, according to the Department of Labor’s monthly report.
Secretary Hilda Solís stressed that the unexpected reduction was insufficient, and more needs to be done to help the workforce.
Another economic stimulus package is not in the offing, she reported to Weekly Report and other media by teleconference.
President Obama has repeatedly preached public patience when pressed as to whether another influx of money is needed.
While the job-loss slowdown is a welcome sign, Solís stated, she would not be satisfied until there was “robust” growth.
Obama has often said that job growth is one of the last things likely to happen in the nation’s economic recovery. But the positive news did prompt the president to state that “the worse may be behind us.”
He called it a positive sign that the stimulus was working, “While we’ve rescued our economy from catastrophe, we’ve also begun to build a new foundation for growth.” Hispanic Link.
