Fit, but dead of swine flu

The women's friendship began at a swimming pool more than 10 years ago; when Duffy later lost the ability to speak after a stroke, Brewster became a part-time caregiver. It was Brewster who suggested a 12-day adventure, Shanghai to Beijing, including the Great Wall, the terra cotta army of Xi'an, and a Yangtze River cruise.

On the last day, she developed a cough and figured it was a mild flu. It had worsened by the time she arrived home on Thanksgiving Day, her family said. Two days later, her doctor said her lungs seemed clear but he wrote prescriptions for medicine to ease her breathing, and for a chest X-ray.

"Oftentimes early on there can be no indication that things are going to get much worse," said Jaclyn Rosenzweig, an infectious-disease doctor at Abington Memorial Hospital who later consulted on the case. "On the other hand, if they sent everybody into the hospital who had influenza, the hospitals would be overwhelmed," she said, and all the mildly sick patients would spread disease.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, one day after seeing her doctor, Brewster went to Abington. By the next day, she was on life support. Two days later, on Wednesday, she died.

"She was the picture of health," Duffy wrote on her keyboard, "the most unlikely person" to die from swine flu.

"I would have thought I'd be more vulnerable."

For More Information

Public flu vaccine clinics

Eligibility varies from place to place; call ahead or check the Web site below. Some New Jersey Walgreens and Wal-Marts also offer vaccine for specific groups.

Philadelphia: Walk-in clinics six days a week at 28 locations around the city. Information: 215-685-6458.

Bucks County: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday at Central Bucks High School South and Tuesday at Pennsbury High School East. Information: 1-877-477-4492.

Chester County: Next week, by appointment. Reservations: 610-344-5353.

Montgomery County: 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Franconia Mennonite Church in Telford and Thursday at the community college's phys-ed building in Blue Bell. Information: 610-278-5117.

Camden County: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Bellmawr Fire Hall. Information: 1-800-999-9045.

Gloucester County: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the county Institute of Technology gym in Sewell. Information: 856-218-4141.

Memorial details

Kevin Hirsch: Contributions to the "Kevin Hirsch Memorial Fund" will go toward a vaccine-poster campaign, medical bills, and other purposes. Checks may be mailed to Box 1174, Forked River, N.J. 08731.

Laura Brewster: Friends may call 7 to 9 tonight at May Funeral Home, 354 Easton Rd., Glenside. A Funeral Mass will be 1 p.m. tomorrow at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 109 Price St., Philadelphia.

Links to memorial information and to public vaccine clinics throughout the region:

Inquirer staff writer Don Sapatkin will chat with readers about swine flu at noon today.

Contact staff writer Don Sapatkin at 215-854-2617 or dsapatkin@phillynews.com.