The Centers for Disease Control have reported 86 deaths of children since the new H1N1 virus, commonly called the swine flu, arose last spring. Of those 86, half of them were reported in September and early October alone, and there have been 11 reported in the last week.
About half of the child deaths reported from the swine flu since September 1 have been teenagers. Prior to this fall, much of the focus has been on younger children. Children are more at risk for the swine flu because of their developing immune systems.
These numbers greatly concern health officials since, in past years, only 40 or 50 deaths were reported for the entire flu season, and they don't know when the swine flu outbreak will end. Health officials have noticed that about 6 percent of doctor's visits are for flu-like symptoms in patients, which is a higher level than is usually seen at this time of the year.
The swine flu continues to cause illness in 41 states.
Initially, the government hoped for 40 million or more vaccines for the 2009 H1N1 virus, but now there may only be 28-30 million doses available across the country by the end of the month. Although more doses will continue to arrive each week.
The initial vaccines that became available were only of FluMist, the nasal spray version of the vaccine. FluMist, however, can only be used by people between the ages of 2 and 49 who are not pregnant and have no chronic illnesses.
Many areas are reserving the initial vaccines, whether they are the nasal spray version or the injection, are being reserved for health care officials, since they are much more likely to be exposed to the swine flu virus.
Some are reluctant to use the injection form of the vaccines because it was recently revealed that they contain thimerosal, which is a mercury-based preservative. You can read about this issue in .
Written by Nicole Palmby"
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