The Ministry of Health had confirmed the figures for influenza A related deaths including a women who passed on Sunday at the University Hospital of the West Indies along with a male patient who died at the Kingston Hospital in January. Further, the ministry had confirmed 8 cases of the H1N1 virus, in total, out of 42 influenza cases.

However, during the last month the Trinidad-based Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) had denied the H1N1 epidemic in the regions of the Caribbean.

“Each year hundreds of thousands of people catch flu and the majority will make a full recovery. Traditionally the elderly have been more seriously affected by winter flu but the picture is beginning to change as we are now seeing a higher proportion of young and middle aged people taken seriously ill”, said the Head of the watchdog’s respiratory diseases department, Professor John Watson.

While referring to the annual flu report, Professor Watson said that the seasonal flu was observed at higher levels during the 2010 and 2011 as compared to the last winter where swine flu was the leading strain.

Although, the authorities attempted hard to curb the infection and vaccinated the most susceptible groups including the pregnant women but failed to establish a program to offer the jab to all children against the flu.