CDC Chief: H1N1 Poses More Risk for Kids, Young Adults

MARGARET WARNER:

If anyone doubted public health warnings earlier this year that swine flu would hit young people hardest, new figures out today should end that.

Of the nearly 5,000 hospitalizations connected with H1N1 between September 1 through October 10, more than half were among people 24 and under. Children and young people aren't dying in the same proportions, however. They accounted for just 24 percent of the 292 deaths during that period.

The figures are based on reporting from just over half the states. The news comes amid delays in distributing as much H1N1 vaccine as had been predicted by now.

For more on all this, we're joined from Atlanta by Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC.

And, Dr. Frieden, thank you for joining us.

Just to drive this point home, children, teenagers and young adults are far more at risk from this flu than they are from seasonal flu.

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Absolutely.

What we see is that, the older you are, the more protected you are against this particular strain of flu, H1N1 influenza. And we have seen explosive spread in many school, camp and college settings.

MARGARET WARNER:

And then, of those who died, the young people who died, were they — did they have underlying health problems, or were these healthy young people?

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN:

More than two-thirds of all the children who have died from H1N1 flu have had underlying health conditions, but others have not.

And flu can be serious. Even an average case of flu can knock you on your back. It's no picnic. You can lose a few days of work or school, and, in serious or severe cases, can send you to the hospital, or, tragically, can result in death.

MARGARET WARNER:

Now, the briefing your agency held today, another message from that briefing was, if your child or you gets a serious case of flu, don't wait for the test to confirm it. Go ahead and get the antiviral?

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN:

If you're having trouble breathing, you should see the doctor or go to the hospital immediately.

For most people with flu — there have been millions and millions cases of H1N1 influenza this season. And most people recovered without any specific treatment and without any specific testing. Most people don't need to be tested and don't need to be treated, except in two situations, first, if you're severely ill, having trouble breathing, having difficulty keeping food, water down, particularly for children, or if you have got an underlying health condition.

That includes women who are pregnant, people who have asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or other conditions that would make it more likely that they would become severely ill with the flu.

MARGARET WARNER:

Now, why is it, what's the latest thinking on why the pattern that we usually see in seasonal flu, which is more older people getting it and more of them dying, is completely reversed here?

DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN:

It seems that, the longer you have been around, the more protection you have against certain new types of flu or newly circulating types of flu.

There are lots of theories. We're not certain of the real reason. But, whatever the reason, the younger you are, the more likely you are to get this particular strain of flu.