ST. LOUIS — The H1N1 virus has killed about 10,000 people around the country, but just 11 in Missouri.
A state official told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Thursday's edition that Missouri has been "incredibly lucky."
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services spokesman Kit Wagar said the flu season in Missouri has been milder than in many other states.
The Post-Dispatch noted that reporting for H1N1 deaths varies greatly from state to state. Some states, including Kansas, have so far issued news releases each time there is an H1N1-related death.
As far as Missouri is concerned, Wagar said H1N1 deaths are tragic but not necessarily newsworthy. Missouri put out news releases following the first two deaths but no longer does so.