An influenza outbreak has killed seven residents of a care home for the elderly in Australia and sickened more than 120 other residents and staff.
Victoria state chief health officer Brett Sutton said today the residents who died were 70 to 94 years old.
The outbreak occurred at St John's Retirement Village in Wangaratta in northeast Victoria. Sutton says most of the 146 residents had been vaccinated, but the vaccine is less effective in the elderly.
There were 123 cases of flu among the residents and 200 staff at the home. Vaccination was not compulsory among residents or staff.
Sutton says the seven deaths counted there since Aug. 16 made this outbreak the worst he had encountered during his seven years in the state health department.
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