Swine flu deaths rise to 38; asthmatics warned

Michigan residents with chronic breathing trouble urged to get vaccine

Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News

Six more people have died from H1N1 since last week, state health officials said on Monday as they singled out people with asthma as those who should get the swine flu vaccine.

Health officials have for the first time focused on a priority group for the vaccine -- those with asthma -- and stressed the importance of getting the swine and seasonal flu vaccine. African Americans suffer disproportionately from asthma, a chronic breathing problem, with Detroiters suffering one of the highest asthma hospitalization rates in the state.

Since the swine flu virus broke out in April, 38 Michigan deaths have been associated with the H1N1 virus, including four cases of people who had asthma. Among the latest deaths, the victims ranged in age from 28-62, but their race was unknown.

"Certain individuals, if they get the virus, are more likely to have more serious disease such as those with asthma," said Greg Holzman, state chief medical executive. "When there is real limited vaccine, we are really trying to focus on those people to get vaccinated."

So far, Michigan has ordered more than a million of the 1.2 million H1N1 doses allocated to the state, which is less than the 1.5 million doses that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the state would receive by mid-October.

Meanwhile, the virus is widespread. Cases of flu-like symptoms reported to the state last week reached 46,272.

Since Sept. 1, the number of hospitalizations increased to 801 and deaths increased to 28, six more than reported last week.

Nationally, one out of every three people hospitalized with swine flu also have asthma, Holzman said.

Michigan hospitalizations linked to H1N1 are being studied in a small area of the state near Lansing. Currently, about 40 percent of adults and 47 percent of children hospitalized with H1N1 in that area also have asthma.

Health officials decided to stress the importance of the flu vaccines for those with asthma since Michigan has a 9.5 percent rate of asthma, which is higher than the national rate of 7.9 percent.

Though state officials didn't point to African Americans with asthma as priority candidates for the vaccine, numerous state reports suggest they should.

Statewide, the rate of asthma hospitalization for blacks versus whites is four to one, according to John Dowling, asthma public health consultant for the state health department.

Detroiters are hospitalized for asthma nearly twice as often as the rest of the asthma population in Michigan.

It's important for people suffering from asthma to realize that hospitalization means the disease is out of control, Dowling said, and they could avoid getting sick from the flu viruses if they get the vaccines.

"They are at risk for complications from influenza, and making their asthma worse," Dowling said.

kkozlowski@detnews.com (313) 222-2024