DENVER (Reuters) - The flu season is hitting the Western United
States hard and Colorado is seeing the worst outbreak in the
country with authorities on Monday confirming eight children
have now died in the state since the season began last month.
At The Children's Hospital in Denver five to 10 children are
being admitted every day with the flu and ten times that many
are treated and released.
"This is the worst outbreak I've seen in 30 years," Dr. James
Todd, director of epidemiology at The Children's Hospital,
said on Monday.
Eight children have died in the state over the last three
weeks and another death of a child is suspected to be flu-related,
state health department officials said on Monday. Usually
one or two children die every year in Colorado from the flu.
So far 6,306 Colorado residents have been diagnosed with the
flu.
Other states have also been hard hit.
Flu activity in Texas has been categorized as "widespread,"
the highest level of classification, for seven straight weeks
and is likely to stay that way, Texas Health Department spokesman
Doug McBride said.
News reports say several Texans have died from the flu, but
McBride said the state has no numbers.
The San Antonio Express reported on Saturday that Wilford
Hall Medical Center on Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio
blamed influenza for the recent deaths of two children and
one elderly woman.
The flu has also been labeled "widespread" in Washington with
virtually all areas of the state hit and 104 schools from
19 counties blaming higher absenteeism on flu-like illnesses.
Each year about 36,000 people die from the flu in the United
States, but this year the season started early. News that
children in Colorado died from the flu and that two big flu
vaccine makers said their entire production had already been
sold to hospitals and other providers sent shockwaves through
the country.
Even a severe snowstorm in the eastern United States could
not stop intrepid vaccination seekers.
"We had 355 people come on Friday in blizzard conditions,"
Kristin Winbigler, director of emergency services at Stamford
Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut, said. "On Saturday between
9 a.m. and noon we had 233 people," she said.
"People just became concerned. They heard about Colorado and
about flu suppliers. I'm afraid I'm going to run out next
month," Winbigler said.
Children have smaller trachea and bronchi making it harder
to fight the flu. They are also more vulnerable because they
might wash their hands less often than adults and are in contact
with other children either in the classroom or the playground.
In a typical year, 70 million to 75 million Americans receive
a flu shot. This year manufacturers produced about 83 million
doses of flu vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
Colorado officials last week said infants six to 23 months,
people over 65 and anybody with an underlying medical problem
such as children with asthma should get the vaccination first.
But the state does not have the authority to order how the
shots are dispensed.
Texas health department officials also recommended the vaccinations
be targeted to the highest risk groups, the elderly and the
young.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Franks in Houston and Chris
Stetkiewicz in Seattle)
By
Judith Crosson 
