• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - Johnny\'s Pub Quiz
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna- January and February at the Austrian Film Museum
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier

© www.schulbilder.org

05. 11. 09. - 16:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

05. 11. 09. - 16:00

Class suspended because of swine flu

By Lisa Chapman

An entire primary school class has been ordered to stay at home amid fears some of its students had come down with swine flu.

Authorities at a primary school in Pirka southwest of Graz, Styria, have closed the class until 10 November.

The provincial school council said yesterday (Weds) the measure was precautionary since school officials feared many of the 18 pupils in the class might get sick with swine flu. It added health officials would closely monitor the situation at the school.

It is the second school closing in Austria because of swine flu after East Tyrol authorities last week closed an entire school in Lienz for a week when 26 students were struck down with suspected swine flu.

Meanwhile, two swine flu victims in Salzburg and Vienna hospitals remain in critical but stable condition, their doctors said yesterday.

Salzburg provincial clinic staff said a 41-year-old German man there was still in an artificial coma but was breathing.

A spokesperson at Vienna’s Hanusch Hospital said doctors were cautiously optimistic that a young woman in intensive care at the hospital would eventually recover. The media have reported the woman, 18, is pregnant.

The news comes after an 11-year-old girl from South Tyrol, Italy, hospitalised in Innsbruck with swine flu died earlier this week after 10 days in intensive care.

Christoph Wenisch, an infections specialist at Vienna’s Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, told Austrian broadcaster ORF after speaking with colleagues in Innsbruck that the girl’s immune system had run "out of control" after she suffered from a bacterial infection and was then infected by the A/H1N1 virus.

Martina Z. was the first person in Austria to die from swine flu. She had been at Innsbruck Children’s Clinic since 23 October.

Meanwhile, Austria’s 280,000 health-care personnel began to receive vaccinations against swine flu last week.

Vaccination of the 600,000 people at high risk – pregnant women and the chronically-ill – is set to begin on 9 November.

Health authorities say they have enough vaccine for 800,000 people to be vaccinated by the end of November.

The ministry has received 520,000 doses of pharmaceutical firm Baxter’s "Celvapan" swine flu vaccine and will receive additional doses at the rate of 200,000 a week.

Health-insurance funds will cover the cost of the vaccinations except for a fee of 4.90 Euros a dose. Doctors recommend that people receive two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart.

Austrian Times

Related articles: medical focus

1. Mayor calls for AKH budget reform as docs consider strike

   » General News 2011-12-06

   Michael Häupl, the mayor of Vienna, has suggested that the city and the state should share the management and maintenance costs for the country’s largest clinic.

2. Fewer AKH docs on night duty from next year

   » Business 2011-11-29

   The number of doctors on night duty at Austria’s largest clinics is set to shrink, it has emerged.

3. Greens adamant about Vienna road toll

   » General News 2011-11-28

   Vienna Vice Mayor Maria Vassilakou has vowed to keep fighting for a city road toll regulation.

more related articles tagged "medical focus"

Burgtheater stages Tennessee Williams hit
A German version of Tennessee Williams’ most popular play is now on at the Burgtheater.

Electricity supplier switch barriers to disappear
People’s Party (ÖVP) Economy Minister Reinhold Mitterlehner has promised a further reduction of bureaucratic obstacles for people planning to change their electricity providers.

Erste Bank expert optimistic about Hungary
The chief analyst of Austria’s biggest bank has said chances for a political agreement about the difficult economic condition of Hungary are good.

Greens write off debt brake accord
Greens chairwoman Eva Glawischnig has claimed the government stopped being interested in adding a debt brake to the constitution.

007 health worries Lugner
Richard Lugner has expressed concerns about Sir Roger Moore’s health.

Coalition close to cutback consent
Social Democratic (SPÖ) State Secretary Andreas Schieder has confirmed that the government reached the final stage of its savings package talks.

End of austerity package talks in sight, says Khol
A People’s Party (ÖVP) board member has claimed that the upcoming savings package would be presented within the coming days.

The Loo-vre Gallery
A group of artists have declared independence for 25 toilets put up in Karlsplatz in Vienna, Austria and have used the 3 foot square interior to build their own mini kingdoms.

Food discounts with new ZOOcard at Schönbrunn
The new ZOOcard at Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria is offering more discounts and foodie concessions than ever before to its regular visitors.

Organic door to door
For almost a month now a company in Burgenland, Austria have been carrying out door to door organic deliveries. The new venture entitled "BioSchatzkistl" puts together boxes of fresh organic food products and brings them right to your door.