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Source: http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_14914908
Utah study: Swine flu strikes some minorities harder
By Kirsten Stewart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/19/2010 01:53:19 PM MDT
Last year's outbreak of H1N1 swine flu levied a higher toll on the young, the overweight and on minorities, say researchers at Intermountain Medical Center, who argue not putting these populations at the front of the vaccination line may have cost lives, and cost hospitals and taxpayers millions of dollars.
Children, pregnant women and people with lung-related illnesses were given first priority for H1N1 vaccinations, some of them standing in lines for hours outside health departments.
But with the first wave of H1N1 hospitalizations, doctors noticed the sickest patients were more likely to be young adults, obese and of Latino or Pacific Island descent, said Russ Miller, medical director of Intermountain's respiratory intensive care unit. They were also less likely to be insured...
Utah study: Swine flu strikes some minorities harder
By Kirsten Stewart
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 04/19/2010 01:53:19 PM MDT
Last year's outbreak of H1N1 swine flu levied a higher toll on the young, the overweight and on minorities, say researchers at Intermountain Medical Center, who argue not putting these populations at the front of the vaccination line may have cost lives, and cost hospitals and taxpayers millions of dollars.
Children, pregnant women and people with lung-related illnesses were given first priority for H1N1 vaccinations, some of them standing in lines for hours outside health departments.
But with the first wave of H1N1 hospitalizations, doctors noticed the sickest patients were more likely to be young adults, obese and of Latino or Pacific Island descent, said Russ Miller, medical director of Intermountain's respiratory intensive care unit. They were also less likely to be insured...
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