Younger Adults Hit Hardest This Flu Season

The H1N1 flu was the predominant influenza strain in the United States this year, but it packed a lot less punch than in 2009 when it caused a worldwide pandemic, health officials report.

This seasons flu virus didn't reach those pandemic proportions because of prior widespread exposure and also because of its inclusion in the current flu vaccine, experts said.

"This year, not only do we have a vaccine that works well, but millions of people have already been exposed to the H1N1 virus," said Dr. Michael Jhung, a medical officer in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's influenza division. Although H1N1 flu has circulated since 2009, "this is the first season since then we have seen it dominate," he added.

As the 2013-14 flu season winds down, the CDC is able to make some comparisons with previous flu seasons, although final figures aren't yet available.

As in 2009, H1N1 hit younger adults harder than the elderly.

Of the more than 8, 000 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported so far this season, over 60 percent have been among people 18 to 64 years old, the CDC said.

The timing was different, too. "We had a bit of an early peak to the flu season," Jhung said. "We typically see the highest activity in January/February, but it happened this season about a month early."

Even though H1N1 was the most common flu strain, a "herd immunity" kept it from becoming a pandemic again, Jhung said.

For a virus to become pandemic, it must pass easily from person to person and have never circulated before so that people don't build immunity to it.

"The theory of herd immunity is that if you vaccinate enough people not everyone has to be immune in order to stop the disease spreading through a community," he said.

For instance, infants under 6 months of age cannot be vaccinated for flu, but if the people around them are vaccinated, the odds of the infant getting the flu are greatly reduced, Jhung said.

Also, the makeup of the current flu vaccine made it more effective than the vaccines of the last couple of years, Jhung said. "We have a preliminary estimate for vaccine effectiveness thats quite good--62 percent," he said.

That means the likelihood of getting the flu if you were vaccinated was cut by 62 percent. "In the previous two years, vaccine effectiveness was between 47 and 49 percent," Jhung said.

This years flu vaccine protected people from H1N1 and other flu types, including H3N2 and a type of influenza B virus. Some formulations of the vaccine had an additional B strain, protecting people against four types of flu, Jhung said.

The CDC relies on hospital data to estimate adult deaths at the end of the flu season, and it's too soon to obtain those figures, Jhung said. Adult flu deaths in the United States usually range from 35, 000 to 40, 000 a year.

The agency does have up-to-date records for children, however. So far this season, 85 children have died from flu. By the end of March last year, 110 children had died of flu. Five states--Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas--accounted for 29 of this seasons pediatric deaths, according to the CDC.

The best way to protect yourself from the flu is by getting a flu shot, the CDC advises. The agency recommends everyone 6 months old and up get a flu vaccine every year. This year, about 40 percent to 45 percent of those who should get a flu shot did--about the same as last year, Jhung said.

Although some flu illness is still being reported in the United States, overall flu activity is low, the CDC said.

SOURCES: Michael Jhung, M.D., M.P.H., medical officer, influenza division, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CDC report: Too Many Younger Teens Still Getting Pregnant

 

By Steven Reinberg
Despite a drop in teen birth rates in recent years, too many girls under 18 are still getting pregnant, U.S. health officials said Tuesday.

Even though births to teens aged 15 to 17 have declined, a quarter of teen births occur in this age group -- nearly 1,700 a week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"There have been noted declines in births to teens, and that's good news," Ileana Arias, principal deputy director of the CDC, said during a noon news conference.

"However, we can't be complacent when we hear about these declines. We still need to make more progress in reducing health disparities and the public health burden related to teen pregnancies and births. Younger teens still account for one in four teen births," she said.

Arias noted that pregnancy and birth can interfere with finishing high school and can lead to sacrificing education, career and income.

"The young teen years are a critical time when a teen, especially a young woman, could jeopardize her future if she cannot complete high school or go to college," she said.

Young fathers may also have to limit their education and defer their plans, Arias said.

Speaking at the news conference, Lee Warner, the CDC's associate director for science in the division of reproductive health, said that in 2012 there were 86,423 births to teens aged 15 to 17.

Warner said more sex education is needed for both girls and boys, and that health professionals can provide information about the best methods of contraception.

Report findings include the following, specific to teens aged 15 to 17:

The rate of births dropped by more than half from 1991 to 2012 -- from 38.6 births per 1,000 teens to 14.1.Birth rates were higher among Hispanic, black and American Indian/Alaska Native teens. In 2012, the birth rate per 1,000 teens in that age group was 25.5 for Hispanic teens, 21.9 for black teens, 17 for American Indian/Alaska Native teens, 8.4 for white teens and 4.1 for Asian/Pacific Islander teens. Most female teens aged 15 to 17 (73 percent) have not yet had sex.Most of these girls have spoken with their parents or guardians about sex, but only about four in 10 received information both on birth control and how to say no to sex.

Other findings include:

More than 80 percent of teen girls who have had sex had no prior formal sex education. More than 90 percent of teens used some type of contraception the last time they had sex, but most relied on the least effective method -- condoms alone.

Other CDC reports found:

Racial and ethnic disparities in teen pregnancy rates exist. This suggests the need for culturally appropriate education and services. Sexually active teens are at risk for pregnancy because they use less-effective contraceptives. Sex education given early may help teens abstain from sex or use effective birth control. Parents and guardians can help preteens and teens avoid risky sexual behaviors.

Dr. Rani Gereige, director of medical education at Miami Children's Hospital, said several factors might contribute to the problems of teen pregnancy, especially in minorities.

"Lack of education is the problem," he said. "This includes education from parents, teachers and health care providers."

In addition, there may be cultural reluctance to talk about sex, Gereige said. "Communication needs to start early in the preteen years before the teen initiates sexual activity," he said.

"It is also about empowering young girls to take care of their bodies and delay sexual activity and/or use contraception if they decide to become sexually active," Gereige said.

The lack of access to appropriate, confidential health care may also be a barrier for teens seeking information about sex, he said.

Gereige was clear that access to contraception does not encourage sexual activity.

"It allows pregnancy prevention for teens who decide to be sexually active," he said. "The morning-after pill may help, but what helps more is education on delaying sexual activity and/or using contraception."