5:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By Clare Kennedy
THE number of swine flu cases across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has dropped this month according to health bosses.
Across Southampton there were 546 assessments carried out by the National Pandemic Flu hotline service during the first half of this month, compared to 1,138 for the same period in November.
In Hampshire there were 3,559 assessments, compared to 6,161 for the same period in November.
However, health bosses fear that swine flu infection rates may increase over the Christmas period with more people travelling and visiting friends and family.
Nationally, it is estimated that the number of new cases of swine flu cases this week will be 9,000, compared to 11,000 last week.
The total number of confirmed swine flu related deaths in England is currently 203, compared to 191 last week.
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