CDC reports 19 more children died of swine flu last week

That brings the total to 114 children deaths since the pandemic's start, compared with 40 to 50 in a normal flu season. On H1N1 vaccines, 'the gap between supply and demand is closing.'
Nineteen more U.S. children died from pandemic H1N1 influenza in the week ending Oct. 24, bringing the total to 65 since Aug. 30 and to 114 since the beginning of the pandemic in April, according to the newest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Two-thirds of those children had underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications, CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden said in a Friday news conference. In a normal flu season, 40 to 50 children die, so the swine flu is affecting children much more severely than seasonal flu.
Comparable numbers are not available for adults because there are no similar reporting requirements for them. As of Tuesday, 12,466 laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations for swine flu and 530 deaths had been reported to the CDC, but those are likely to be significant underestimates, Frieden said.
Estimates released this week suggested that perhaps 800 Americans had died from swine flu by the end of July. Frieden said the agency hoped to have real-time estimates for the entire pandemic period available in the next couple of weeks. He said "many, many millions" of Americans now have been infected.
Supplies of vaccine for swine flu continue their slow growth. As of Friday morning, 26.1 million doses were available, an increase of 10.5 million since the previous Friday and 1.3 million more than were available Thursday. "There is not enough yet for all providers, but the gap between supply and demand is closing," Frieden said.
About half of the doses given out so far have gone to children, and most of the rest to young adults, he said. About 1% to 2% have gone to the elderly, he said.
The Los Angeles Times