H1N1 Impact in Utah

The following article is from KSL's web site (weblink included at bottom).

MURRAY -- Researchers say a new study suggests a change in vaccination priorities should be considered for H1N1 flu in Utah.
According to the study, led by Intermountain Medical Center researchers, Utah doctors began to see a pattern early on: the sickest patients being admitted to intensive care units were more likely to be young adults, obese, of Hispanic or Pacific Island descent, and less likely to be insured.
For the study, researchers examined the records of 47 of the first confirmed H1N1 patients admitted to adult intensive care units at Intermountain Medical Center, LDS Hospital, and the University of Utah Health Sciences Center between May 19 and June 30, 2009 -- the initial outbreak period of novel H1N1 influenza in Utah.
That information was then compared to influenza statistics for the general population of Salt Lake County.
In a news release, Dr. Russ Miller, MD, MPH, said, "This information exemplifies how H1N1 affects a different population than seasonal influenza."
Children, pregnant women and people with lung problems were among those in the priority group to receive vaccinations.
The study is published in this month's issue of Chest, the scientific medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. IMC says it is the first comprehensive demographic examination of the H1N1 outbreak that swept through Utah last spring.
Last month, the Utah Department of Health said women and minorities in Utah were hit the hardest by the swine flu. But state health officials said it doesn't mean gender and race are high risk factors for flu complications.
Article Link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10442930