The Star: June 06, 2019

The Star Thursday June 6 2019
4
NEWS
Current vaccine ‘a
very good match’
•From page 1
“In part that has caused a few
problems for patients in that
quite a lot of patients weren’t
going to get their flu vaccination
until June, anticipating
that the flu
will arrive in July,”
said Dr Schroeder.
In New Zealand,
flu-related illnesses
cause about 400
deaths a year and
account for 45 per
cent of sick days
each winter.
However, Canterbury
Employers’
Chamber of Commerce chief
executive Leeann Watson said
employers are not yet seeing
anything over and above business
as usual.
“Anecdotally we have seen a
few more people coming down
with colds and coughs, which
is pretty much expected at this
time of the year.
“What we have seen more
of over the past few years is
employers providing and encouraging
their team to get flu
vaccinations . . . at the end of the
day it is in everyone’s best interest
to keep well,” she said.
Latest figures from Australia
show there have been nearly
59,000 confirmed cases of the
flu so far this year, compared
to about 14,000 for the same
period last year and close to 100
deaths have been
recorded so far.
There was a
stark warning
in the weekend
when promising
20-year-old
league player
Zae Wallace died
from an infection
caused by the flu
on Saturday in
Auckland.
He had been in an induced
coma in Auckland City Hospital
since April and is one of three
others around the country who
have died from the flu so far this
year, including a 12-year-old and
a 62-year-old.
So far more than 106,000
people in Canterbury have been
vaccinated against the flu, about
19 per cent of the population.
Dr Schroeder said
“encouraging” results were
coming out of Australian studies
to show the current vaccine
is proving to be a “very good
match” for the strains of flu that
are being detected.
news online at www.star.kiwi
VICTORIOUS: Gillian Sheard pictured above at the crossing last year collected 500
signatures in a bid to get it upgraded.
New crossing brings tears of joy
•From page 1
It was not removed and
$15,000 was spent on its upgrade,
it was painted bright red.
“When Deon [Swiggs]
mentioned that it was going to
happen, it really excited me. But
I thought I should wait until I
actually see it,” she said.
“I sort of thought it was still
going to be black and white one
still . . . but I think its great.”
When she was taken from her
hospice care to see the crossing
for the first time, she cried with
happiness.
Locally, it is known as “Gillian’s
crossing” – but Ms Sheard
insists that she didn’t lobby for
herself.
“This is the people’s crossing,”
she said.
Her passion is the Richmond
community.
Ms Sheard said she has spent
the last few years advocating for
the area and working as a neighbourhood
support officer.
City councillor Deon Swiggs
helped lobby internally at the city
council for the crossing upgrade
after staff recommended it be
removed.
“I really wanted to get it done
for her . . . it wasn’t on budget
and we also got most of the road
resealed,” he said.
“She wanted to do something
for her community and she has.”
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