16 Kids Die of Swine Flu in 1 Week

16 Kids Die of Swine Flu in 1 Week
16 Kids Die of Swine Flu in 1 Week
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By MIKE STOBBE
,
AP

ATLANTA (Oct. 9) - Health officials said Friday that 76 children have died of swine flu in the U.S., including 16 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous in kids.
The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

With swine flu cases increasing throughout most of the country, more deaths are likely, Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.
She noted that 37 states now are reporting widespread swine flu cases, up from 27 a week ago. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even decreasing in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.
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10 Swine Flu Facts

Ricardo Moraes, AP10 photos 1. Don't panic: Government doctors stopped counting swine flu cases in July, when they estimated more than 1 million had been infected in the U.S. The outbreak has continued to intensify since then. Health officials urge people to take precautions but not panic. "I don't want anybody to be alarmed, but I do want everybody to be prepared," President Barack Obama said in September.
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10 Swine Flu Facts
1. No cause for panic:So far, hospitalizations and deaths from swine flu seem to be lower than the average seen for seasonal flu, and the virus hasn't dramatically mutated. Still, more people are susceptible to swine flu and U.S. health officials are worried because it hung in so firmly here during the summer.
Ricardo Moraes, AP
Ricardo Moraes, AP
"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Meanwhile, CDC officials say states have ordered 3.7 million doses of swine flu vaccine for a campaign that started this week. Demand is exceeding supply, at least so far, and people seeking the vaccination can start by contacting their state or local health department to find out where to go, she said.
Health officials also said more data is trickling in from several clinical trials of the new vaccine, and so far no serious side effects have been reported.
Preliminary information from one study indicates that both a seasonal flu shot and a swine flu shot are effective when given during the same doctor's office visit. However, the government is not recommending that people get the nasal spray versions of the seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the same time.
The nasal sprays contain weakened, live virus, and the government doesn't have data on how a person's immune system would react to exposure to both at the same time, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The CDC doesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest the infection has caused more than 600 deaths and more than 9,000 hospitalizations since it was first identified in April.
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Flu Pandemics

Luis Acosta, AFP / Getty Images7 photos The World Health Organization in June declared swine flu a global pandemic -- the first such designation of the 21st century. The last time a full-blown pandemic was declared was 1968. Click through to learn more about past pandemics and pandemic fears.
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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-10-09 15:43:15