Flu deaths estimated at 600 per year

About 600 people die from influenza in Singapore every year, and many of these lives could have been saved, experts say. The majority of them are 65 years and older. They rarely die of the flu virus, but from complications arising from a bad flu bout.

Doctors say that flu vaccine can cut the risk of death among the elderly by as much as 80 per cent.

A study on the flu deaths here between 1996 and 2003, released by the Ministry of Health and Singapore General Hospital in 2006, found that people over 65 are more than 11 times as likely to die of the flu than younger adults.

Many die because they also get a bacterial infection on top of the flu, and develop pneumonia, the third most common cause of deaths here.

The team concluded that these 600 deaths could have been prevented either through annual vaccinations or good treatment with antiviral medicine like Tamiflu or Relenza. (story)

Singaporeans living beyond their means

Singaporeans who spend beyond their means and have to go to their MPs for help were placed under the spotlight by none other than Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday. He noted that as MPs, ‘we often see families who have over-committed themselves financially’ - for instance those who have been ‘extravagant in doing up their homes using renovation loans’, or ‘bought expensive furniture or large screen TV sets on hire purchase’.

‘The ones with the most serious problems have bought homes which are larger than they can afford, and taken mortgages which they are then unable to pay,’ he said.

Mr Lee was speaking at the 60th anniversary dinner of the Malay Youth Literary Association (popularly known by its Malay acronym 4PM), a community welfare organisation that helps young Malays.

While families who live beyond their means come from all races, ‘quite a few are Malay families’, he noted. (story)