Swine flu killing youths

What’s Killing Our Youth?

We used to worry about inexperienced driving and substance abuse as potential killers of our youth. But today, we have something more to fear and that’s the H1N1 virus. We’ve not even entered the peak of the flu season yet and already the statistics are alarming.

In just the past week alone, 19 individuals in the U.S. under the age of 18 died as a result of the virus. The fatalities occurred all over the place, from Florida to Wisconsin to Maryland, Texas, Colorado, Alaska and elsewhere.

Since the beginning of the year, the number of deaths from H1N1 virus complications in the under 18 age group is a whopping 76 people. While it’s true that a large percentage of the youth that died reportedly had other underlying conditions, 20 to 30 percent of the deaths were among otherwise healthy children and teens.

Over the past 4 years, deaths among children from the seasonal flu have ranged from a low of 44 to a high of 86 each year. That we’re already near the top end of the range and the flu season isn’t even in full swing has a lot of people concerned. The flu seemed to retreat after a nerve-wracking spring. But now it’s back in the headlines and spreading fast. And that has parents unsure what to do next.

The other H1N1 news making headlines

Just last week, a vaccine for the H1N1 virus became available. Government officials are advising everyone to get vaccinated, especially those in high-priority groups including children. Since the vaccine’s release, health officials have been working hard to spread word of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness in lessening the severity of symptoms, and protecting against the spread of the H1N1 virus.

You’d think parents would be lining up to get their children vaccinated. Some are, but many others are not and don’t plan to be. Uncertainty over the new vaccine’s safety is causing a lot of parents to proceed with extreme caution. This is frustrating to the CDC and other government officials who are working hard to convince skeptical parents.

Sometimes a walk down memory lane…

…brings to mind memories that are better left in the past. Officials hoping to ease vaccine fears find they have to contend with the memory of the last swine flu outbreak in 1976. That outbreak hit Fort Dix in New Jersey hard. Just a few months after the swine flu vaccine program began it was halted after soldiers started showing signs of rare neurological complications, more commonly known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

And there are other issues keeping parents on the sidelines

So far the H1N1 vaccine is only available in nasal spray form. Understanding the dosage regime is causing much confusion, too. Parents are encouraged to discuss the H1N1 virus and vaccine with their children’s doctors. But we’d like to get a discussion going right here.

If you have children, what will you do? Will your child get the new H1N1 vaccine or will your child wait? Let us know!