H1N1 steps up its attack on the young

The H1N1 swine flu continues to strike younger Utahns -- two of the four new deaths reported Wednesday were residents under age 20.

Children and young adults account for half of the state's hospitalizations, and many of the clinic visits, for flu-like illnesses so far this season.

A young woman between the ages of 15 and 20 died in Garfield County, according to the Southwest Utah Health Department. She had underlying health conditions that increased her vulnerability to complications of the flu, the department said.

A Utah County girl between the ages of 5 and 18 died at the beginning of last week, said Lance Madigan, Utah County Health Department spokesman.

She also had "complicating conditions,"

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"Asthma is a big issue," Madigan said. "That is why we are asking people to let [people with asthma] be vaccinated first."

Utah County will next receive 12,900 doses of vaccine, and all but 7,000 will be distributed to doctors and clinics that work with high-risk patients, he said.

The rest will be available at the department next Tuesday and Thursday, under a new ticket system that will give residents a specific time slot.

The other two deaths were a Salt Lake County woman over age 65 and a Weber-Morgan man between the ages of 25 and 49, according to the Utah Department of Health's weekly flu surveillance report.

It also said the percentage of clinic visits for flu-like symptoms has jumped to 9.4 percent from 6.6 percent, the fourth consecutive weekly increase.

Slightly more than 12 percent of clinic visits by patients ages 5 to 24 are for flu-like illness, the same symptoms driving just over 10 percent of visits from those under age 4.

By contrast, less than one percent of seniors visiting clinics appear to be sick from the flu this season, which began Sept. 1.

The number of hospitalizations now stands at 404, with those under age 25 representing more than 49 percent of those patients.

While the clinic and hospital data are for flu-like illness, not specifically H1N1, it remains the only flu found in testing by the Utah Public Health Laboratory. Of 147 samples tested in the past week, 104 were positive for flu -- and 98 percent were H1N1. The others were not or could not be subtyped.

Tribune reporter Mark Havnes contributed to this report.