The ministry of health in China has reported that at least twenty people have died from the H1N1 swine flu so far this year in their country. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, has reported an additional death in the Guangdong province, but so far that report has not been confirmed.
According to estimates from the World Health Organization, worldwide over 18,000 people have reportedly died since 2009 when the flu first broke the news with hundreds of deaths in Mexico.
Flu vaccines in the U.S. this year include a vaccine for the common Flu as well as the H1N1 variant. Unlike last year, the two vaccines are combined into a single injection or nasal mist.
There has been a number flu related of deaths reported around the world between the fall of 2010 to now, especially in the U.K. The increased availability of vaccines, plus increased awareness and precautions like getting the flu vaccine, are the most likely explanation for the reduction according to health officials.