H1N1 Flu Still a "Young Person's Disease"

New Data Shows More than Half of H1N1 Hospitalizations Were People 24 and Younger; Only 12% of Deaths Occurred in Elderly

(CBS/AP)  H1N1 flu continues to be most dangerous to kids and younger adults and is largely bypassing the elderly, according to the latest and most solid government health information.

Health officials on Tuesday released figures for H1N1 flu (also known as swine flu) hospitalizations and deaths for the seven weeks since the beginning of September. The information comes from 28 states.

It showed more than half of all hospitalizations were people 24 and younger; more than a quarter were ages 5 to 18 years.

"Essentially, this is still a young person's disease," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

H1N1 flu deaths were concentrated in young and middle-aged adults. A third of all deaths were people ages 25 through 49; another third were 50 to 64.

Special Report: H1N1 Virus
60 Minutes: H1N1 Most Dangerous to Young People

Only 12 percent of deaths occurred in elderly. That's a stark contrast to the roughly 90 percent of deaths in the elderly from seasonal flu, Schuchat said at a Tuesday press conference.

"It's almost completely reversed," said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

The figures are similar to what the CDC saw in the spring, she said.

Many people 55 and older have some degree of immunity to the H1N1 flu virus, perhaps from exposure decades ago to a similar virus or vaccine. But the ability of the H1N1 flu virus to attack deep in the lungs seems to also make it more dangerous to some of the younger people who are infected, CDC officials say.

The latest figures show about 5,000 hospitalizations in 27 states for lab-confirmed H1N1 flu, and about 300 deaths in 28 states. Not all states report lab-confirmed H1N1 flu cases to the CDC; some report "influenza-like illnesses" that may include cases caused by other kinds of viruses.

The count did not include a breakdown of how many were pregnant or had other health problems that put them at higher risk for severe complications.

The CDC confirmed a downward trend of H1N1 in parts of the Southeast but warned against complacency, reports CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. The agency has been studying the 1957 Asian flu, which appeared to taper off by December that year, but roared back in a second wave during the spring of 1958.

"There's a lot about the fall of 1957 and the spring of 1958 which causes us to be paying attention," Schuchat said. "There was a very impressive wave of disease in the spring."

The CDC does not have an exact count of all the U.S. H1N1 flu deaths and illnesses since the virus was first identified in April, but the agency says more than 800 have died, including at least 86 children. Millions of Americans have been infected, although many probably suffered only mild illness, CDC officials say.

Concerns over Vaccine Logistics

The CDC said today it has a stockpile of close to 13 million vaccine doses, nearly 11 million of which have been ordered by various state governments.

But CBS News correspondent Don Teague reports that some cities across the country - like Dallas - don't have enough vaccine to go around.

Health officials say more than 600,000 people in Dallas County should get vaccinated against H1N1 but only 700 doses have made it to Dallas County's Health Department, Teague reports. Officials are still trying to determine which of the highest risk groups should be vaccinated first.

"This is the time when we have the most flu going on in our community right now, there's a lot of illness right now that could be prevented with the vaccine; unfortunately it's not available yet," said Dallas County Medical Director Dr. John Carlo.

Federal health officials say there isn't actually a shortage of vaccine but it hasn't always made it to the right place at the right time.

Teague reports that in Nampa, Idaho, more than 2,200 doses came in this past weekend and were gone in a day; in southwest Washington State health officials expected 19,000 doses, but are only getting 5,000 this week.

On the other hand, Teague reports, it's more supply than demand in Las Vegas and at one clinic in Miami, they've received significantly more doses than they've given out.

Related information:

CDC: Learn More About H1N1
CDC: What To Do If You Get Sick
Flu.gov: Where To Get Your Flu Shots

[Cuddyer]

Our creative department at the Minneapolis ad agency Martin Williams created this video as an internal H1N1 PSA for our employees. We decided that it has an important message done well so we have put it out there for everyone to use free of charge to help get the word out about the responsible steps toward avoiding spreading the H1N1 virus. It isn?t the standard slap-stick funny approach but a nicely designed, simple and respectful informational piece with a few smiles.

http://www.firetheflu.com/  

It?s already getting nice exposure throughout the advertising and corporate world and made the Top 5 Creativity list this week. You Tube hits are up...and that?s all great. But it wouldn?t compare to the good it could do if CBS News gave it some play and posted it on your website. We hope you will and that your viewers will distribute it to their companies and friends.

Thank you.

Here?s to a flu-free season...

[Cuddyer]

Our creative department at the Minneapolis ad agency Martin Williams created this video as an internal H1N1 PSA for our employees. We decided that it has an important message done well so we have put it out there for everyone to use free of charge to help get the word out about the responsible steps toward avoiding spreading the H1N1 virus. It isn?t the standard slap-stick funny approach but a nicely designed, simple and respectful informational piece with a few smiles.

http://www.firetheflu.com/  

It?s already getting nice exposure throughout the advertising and corporate world and made the Top 5 Creativity list this week. You Tube hits are up...and that?s all great. But it wouldn?t compare to the good it could do if CBS News gave it some play and posted it on your website. We hope you will and that your viewers will distribute it to their companies and friends.

Thank you.

Here?s to a flu-free season...

[dalemu76]

Yesterday I saw a press release about a small biomedical company called Aethlon that has created an interesting device that can help against H1N1.

Apparently they removed 96% of the H1N1 from someone's blood in 6 hours...that seems like a big deal.

Has anyone else heard of this? Is there any chance it really works?

Here's the news item:

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 20 - Aethlon Medical, Inc. announced today that research studies have documented the Aethlon Hemopurifier® is effective in capturing the current pandemic strain of the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus. The Hemopurifier® is the first-in-class medical device able to selectively remove infectious viruses and immunosuppressive proteins from the bloodstream. During invitro studies, the Hemopurifier® removed 68% of H1N1 virus from blood plasma in 30 minutes, 80% of the virus in two hours, and a 96% reduction of H1N1 was observed at six hours. The studies were performed by third party researchers approved by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to house and conduct research on the current pandemic strains of H1N1 virus.

[imprisoncheney]

A 10-y.o. girl in GA died from the H1N1 a week or so ago and her mother said she had refused to get her daughter vaccinated b/c Glenda Beck and the Fuxnewz propaganda merchants had convinced her not to.

She said that doctors don't know what's in the vaccine and she'd just have to pray to the lord now that her daughter was dead.

Amazing.

[jimboy880]

Did anyone in our Goverment ever think about the fact that the holiday seasons are coming up and people will have more contact with each other and possibly spread the disease more and if they can't get the vaccines to us now, I am sad to say it might get worst!! That is always why I think flus in general travel more as we have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays in the height of the flu season!!

[jimboy880]

Did anyone in our Goverment ever think about the fact that the holiday seasons are coming up and people will have more contact with each other and possibly spread the disease more and if they can't get the vaccines to us now, I am sad to say it might get worst!! That is always why I think flus in general travel more as we have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays in the height of the flu season!!

[DawnBroderick40]

I have three children with this virus. For WEEKS we have been trying to get the shot. NO one had it. As usual, the government was a disorganized MESS and thousands of people are getting sick and people are dying because of their incompetence. Here in Ohio, I have talked with ER personnel who are working on the front lines of this mess and none of them have been immunized against this. What is going to happen when they get sick?

You hold your three year old child in your arms while they are delirious from fever and tell them their government lied to them and didn't do what they said. It sets the stage I guess for what they can expect from the government from here on out.

[John_Merritt]

I'll say it again, the children can have my dose. The reason why it may be affecting children is that their immune systems are not as 'seasoned' as us old farts. We may have been exposed to this type in the past and may explain our resilience in light of this terrible flu. In lieu of the available doses I recommend that all high risk patients receive doses before others. Just a thought. Good luck and God Bless all those who are afflicted, and the health care workers treating them.

[wyodutch]

I bet all you parents out there are jumping up and down for joy that the United States Government has pledged to donate ten percent of Americas supply of H1N1 vaccine to the Third World.
.

[imprisoncheney]

wyo --

But that should make all you reichwingers happy -- aren't you the ones who've been telling everybody NOT to get the shots b/c it's all a plot to rid the US of whites????

Sounds like you should be happy that we're sending the vaccine to other countries to wipe out their populations, if it's really that dangerous.

As usual, the reichwing wants to have it both ways.

[SusanStoHelit]

The young, and the pregnant - that's who this flu attacks.