careful with the data.
Is it with Tamilflu or not? Most probably some.
Is it with artificial lung treatment or not? Most probably not all.
If children were treated early with Tamilflu and given access to
artificial respirators and lung machines, fatality rate can be zero.
This is shown by developed nations such as Germany.
Risk of death ten times higher in children with H1N1
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12/28/2009
2:26 pm
A Vanderbilt researcher, while working in his native country of
Argentina, has found that children with H1N1 influenza die at a rate
10 times higher than those who suffer from seasonal flu.
Dr. Fernando Polack, the Cesar Milstein associate professor of
Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt, describes
the serious impact of the H1N1 influenza virus on children in an
article titled Pediatric Hospitalizations Associated with H1N1
Influenza in Argentina, published in the Dec. 23, 2009, issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine. The overall death rate with H1N1 was
1.1 per 100,000 children, compared to .1 per 100,000 for seasonal flu
in 2007.
Polack also details which children were at highest risk. Due to
Argentina's location in the southern hemisphere, Polack was able to
collect detailed surveillance data during the peak of the H1N1 virus
outbreak in Buenos Aires in June. His cohort included six hospitals
that combine to serve 1.2 million children.
"One thing that was striking was the tremendous impact on hospital
logistics. Routine surgeries were cancelled; mass infection control
practices were put in place; wards doubled-- particularly in ICU's,
with everyone working over capacity. It was pretty rough," Polack
said.
Dr. Kathryn Edwards, Sarah H. Sell Chair in Pediatrics and director of
the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program, is a coauthor on the article.
Edwards says the H1N1 outbreak showcases opportunities which can
result from observing opposing seasonal illness peaks from the
northern to the southern hemispheres. The hope is that scientists can
learn to respond more quickly to a developing pandemic.
"Flu is a global disease and we need to work together to understand
and deal with each flu virus," Edwards said.
The first author of the article is Argentinean pediatrician Dr. Romina
Libster, who is currently in Nashville working as a research
specialist with the VVRP. Libster said Polack realized what was
happening when reports began to arise in Mexico that a new flu virus
was causing serious illness.
Contact: Laurie Holloway (615) 322-474
laurie.holloway@vanderbilt.edu
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