St. Louis Rams Cancel Practice Due to H1N1

The St. Louis Rams canceled practice Thursday due to confirmed cases of swine flu on the team.

Players were seen driving away from Rams Park shortly before noon after receiving medication from the team. Coach Steve Spagnuolo scheduled a midday news conference, but other details were not immediately available.

Two Rams players missed practice Wednesday due to undisclosed illnesses, quarterback Kyle Boller and center Jason Brown. Spagnuolo said Brown was also ill on Monday.

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The Rams (1-12) host the Houston Texans (6-7) this Sunday.

In early October, Texans rookie tight end Anthony Hill was hospitalized with swine flu in the first confirmed case in an NFL player this season. Other players around the league were also sidelined with flulike symptoms.

The new swine flu seems no more deadly than regular winter flu, which every year kills 36,000 Americans and hospitalizes 200,000. The H1N1 strain sickens younger people more frequently than the over-65 population who are seasonal flu's main victims.

Earlier this year, the NHL's Calgary Flames were heavily criticized when players and their families received the swine flu vaccine while thousands of Albertans waited in lines that stretched for hours. Two Alberta Health Services employees were eventually fired.

British Columbia's provincial health officer also said last month that Vancouver Canucks also players jumped the line when they received vaccinations.