Swine flu may levy higher toll on minorities

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Oct 8 2009

Swine flu may have an 'outsized' impact on minorities, the New York Daily News reports. "The Centers for Disease Control [and Prevention] alluded to the problem in a small Sept. 4 report, but only in a passing mention." The report showed that 12 of the first 36 deaths of U.S. children related to H1N1 were among Hispanics. Hispanics and blacks made up half of all children's deaths due to the new flu strain between April and August.

According to the Daily News, "By themselves, the childhood deaths might not seem sufficient in number to raise alarm bells. But several recent studies from local health departments around the country suggest a broader trend is already underway in minority communities." A CDC spokesman said further racial and ethnic breakdowns are not currently available but a new report will be ready the end of this week (Gonzalez, 10/7).

This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.