DULUTH - The Minnesota Health Department (MDH) is warning it expects to report more H1N1 deaths in the coming days.  Officials have confirmed six deaths related to swine flu at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth this month.

The combined death toll in Minnesota and Wisconsin now stands at 50 since the outbreak in September.  That doesn't count one death from Carlton County Sunday FOX 21 learned about Tuesday, or a suspected case in Bayfield County.  Meanwhile, Tuesday, MDH expanded the list of Minnesotans eligible to receive the vaccine.

"It just came out of the blue," said Day Linda Ketchum of her husband, Ron's, sickness.  It claimed his life Sunday.  "It was confirmed the day he died that he had H1N1," Ketchum said.  She said her husband spent nine days in St. Luke's Hospital after developing trouble breathing on his 51st birthday, November 6th.

Ketchum said her husband didn't get the swine ful vaccine.  She added, It took doctors seven days to determine he had swine flu.  He died around 3 p.m. Sunday.

"I'm having a hard time dealing with it because it happened so fast.. so fast.," said Ketchum.  "We thought it was just pneumonia."

Until this week, it seemed the virus was a threat to be taken seriously, but now MDH confirmed swine flu killed four other people in the Northland since November 11th.  That includes two people in St. Louis County, and two people in Itasca County.  MDH also confirmed a fatality in Clearwater County, and one in Hennepin County.  All had underlying chronic health conditions.  It seems the news will get worse next week.

"There are more deaths that have been reported to us that we're currently investigating, so we know those numbers will unfortunately increase," said Kris Ehresmann, director of the infectious disease division at MDH.  Monday, the Duluth News Tribune reported 32–year–old Matt Walczynski of Duluth, was one of the four victims confirmed recently.  His story illicited heartfelt comments online, including one who asked, "...If the people dying are ages 18 to 64, who have underlying health conditions, why were these people not placed on the list of people eligible to receive vaccinations?"  As of Tuesday, that list now includes 2.7–million Minnesotans, now targeting people age six months to 24 years with or without a compromising health condition, as well as people 25 to 64 years old with chronic medical conditions.

The state has ordered almost one–million doses of the vaccine to date, but says it's likely to be January before there will be enough vaccine for everyone who wants it.

Ketchum said doctors told her she didn't need it, since she also got swine flu, but was able to beat it.  But, in the end, she lost to it, losing her husband of 17 years, who she'll say goodbye to Friday.

SMDC is continuing H1N1 vaccine clinics at its Duluth campus Wednesday, Friday, and all of next week.  The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  SMDC's Superior campus will have a clinic next Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.   St. Louis County will hold clinics Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Coppertop Church in Duluth.  Next Monday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hermantown Public Safety Building.

For more information on H1N1 clinics in Minnesota, visit http://www.health.state.mn.us/cgi-bin/idepc/fluschedule/fluclinic_search.cgi.

For Wisconsin, visit http://www.wisconsinfluclinic.info/