2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Deaths among Children—United States, 2009—2010

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases 2011-01, Vol.52 (suppl_1), p.S69-S74
• Main Authors: Cox, Chad M., Blanton, Lenee, Dhara, Rosaline, Brammer, Lynnette, Finelli, Lyn
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Coinfection; Comorbidity; Death; Diseases; Epidemiology; Female; H1N1 subtype influenza A virus; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Influenza A virus; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - classification; Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype - isolation & purification; Influenza, Human - epidemiology; Influenza, Human - mortality; Influenza, Human - virology; Male; Medical conditions; Medical statistics; Morbidity; Mortality; Pandemics; Pediatrics; Survival Analysis; Swine flu
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciq011

The 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) virus emerged in the United States in April 2009 (1) and has since caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide (2—6). We compared pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1)-associated deaths occurring from 15 April 2009 through 23 January 2010 with seasonal influenza—associated deaths occurring from 1 October 2007 through 14 April 2009, a period during which data collected were most comparable. Among 317 children who died of pH1N1-associated illness, 301 (95%) had a reported medical history. Of those 301, 205 (68%) had a medical condition associated with an increased risk of severe illness from influenza. Children who died of pH1N1-associated illness had a higher median age (9.4 vs 6.2 years; P