WASHINGTON — Swine flu might be causing more deaths among older children than the usual seasonal flu, federal health officials reported Thursday.
More than 80 percent of the pediatric deaths from swine flu that occurred so far have been among children older than 5, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an analysis of 36 pediatric deaths reported through Aug. 8.
Although information about pediatric deaths from previous flu seasons is scant, about half occurred among those age 5 and older during previous seasons, the agency said.
“Child deaths from influenza are really tragic,” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden. He added, however, that it remains too early to know whether the pattern will continue.
It could be that the virus is no more dangerous for older children but that more deaths are occurring in that age group because more children are being exposed in school, said Deborah Christensen, a CDC epidemic intelligence service officer.
About two-thirds of the deaths occurred in children who had other health problems. Ninety-two percent had illnesses involving the nervous system, such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, and 59 percent had more than one such complication. Eight deaths, however, occurred among children older than 5 who had no high-risk medical conditions.
“The take-home message from this study I think is that particularly kids with underlying conditions need to be treated promptly if they develop fever, and (be) first on line or at the front of the line for vaccination,” Frieden said.
