PHOENIX -- A Valley hospital has started offering more of its workers the swine flu vaccine in an effort to try and protect its employees and its patients.
On Tuesday, Banner Good Samaritan started offering eligible workers the nasal spray. However, a few select groups, including emergency room staff, received the vaccine last week.
“I have direct contact with patients and part of my responsibility to my patients is not spreading any illness in the hospital,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kao.
Marie Brewer works in a cardiac intensive care unit at the hospital. She has had to help patients hospitalized with swine flu and she decided to get the vaccine.
“We come in contact with it and we have kids at home and family that we want to protect,” said Brewer.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, 39 people have died from the swine flu. Of those, 72% have been between the age of 19 and 64.
State statistics reveal there have been nearly 2800 confirmed cases of swine flu in Arizona. Half of them have been children between the age of 5 and 18.
The state is expected to release the latest swine flu numbers on Wednesday.
