Who is at highest risk from H1N1 swine flu?
Most U.S. cases of H1N1 swine flu have been in children and young adults. It’s not clear whether this will change as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic wanes and the virus becomes a seasonal flu bug. But certain groups are at particularly high risk of severe disease or bad outcomes if they get the flu: • Pregnant women are six times more likely to have severe flu disease than women who are not pregnant. • Young children, especially those under 2 years of age • People with asthma. • People with COPD or other chronic lung conditions • People with cardiovascular conditions (except high blood pressure) • People with liver problems • People with kidney problems • People with blood disorders, including sickle cell disease • People with neurologic disorders • People with neuromuscular disorders • People with metabolic disorders, including diabetes • People with immune suppression, including HIV infection and medications that suppress the immune system, such as cancer chemotherapy or anti-rejection drugs
