5 people die of flu complications in Taiwan

Five more people in Taiwan have died of flu complications since last weekend, when the traditional Spring Festival holiday began, bringing the total number of flu-related deaths on the island since last July to 36. Taiwan's health authorities said Tuesday that four of the five people who died had suffered from chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension, and another 14-year-old Taiwanese had no chronic illness. None of the five had been vaccinated against influenza, authorities said, adding that some of them died from respiratory failure, septic shock and multi-organ failure, after developing pneumonia. The health department advised people -- especially children, the elderly and the sick -- to take special precautions, pay attention to respiratory health and "cough etiquette" and wear face masks when taking buses or trains during the Chinese New Year holiday, at a time when most parts of Taiwan are suffering from low temperatures. The department also authorized 286 hospitals across the island to offer free anti-flu drugs.