Woman, infant die of swine flu

A 54-year-old Curry County woman and a Quay County infant are among four New Mexicans who died from the H1N1 flu virus this week, according to the state Department of Health.

The Quay County infant had no other health conditions, but the Curry County woman suffered chronic health conditions, according to a news release from the New Mexico Department of Health.

The deaths mark the first in their respective counties, with the Sept. 24 death of a Roosevelt County baby girl being the first H1N1 death in the High Plains of eastern New Mexico.

To date, there have been 40 H1N1 deaths statewide, according to the health department.

Tuesday, Clovis/Curry County emergency planning officials announced free H1N1 vaccines would be given Dec. 3 to specific groups of people identified to have higher vulnerability. These are children ages six months to 5 years, people ages 6-64 with chronic diseases, pregnant women and parents of infants under six months old.

As of Tuesday, the health department reported 7,870 doses of vaccine have been ordered for Curry County, 3,090 for Roosevelt County and 1,770 for Quay County.