H1N1 hospitalization higher for minorities

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- African-Americans, Hispanics and American Indian/Alaska Natives had nearly double the H1N1 hospitalization rates of whites, researchers say.

A report by the Trust for America's Health, Fighting Flu Fatigue, says during the 2009-10 flu season, African-American hospitalization rates were 29.7 per 100,000 people compared to white hospitalization rates of 16.3 per 100,000 people, while Hispanic hospitalization rates were 30.7 percent per 100,000 people.

H1N1 vaccination rates were 9.8 percent lower for African-American adults and 4.2 percent lower for African-American children than for whites, while seasonal flu vaccination rates were 16.5 percent lower for African-American adults and 5.6 percent lower for African-American children than for whites.

H1N1 vaccination rates were 11.5 percent lower for Hispanic adults than for whites, but 5.5 percent higher for Hispanic children, while seasonal flu vaccination rates were 21.7 percent lower for Hispanic adults and 2.6 percent lower for Hispanic children than for whites, the report says.

"Following the H1N1 pandemic, we could take two different paths," Jeffrey Levi, executive director of TFAH, says in a statement. "We could go back to a national complacency around the flu or we could build on the momentum of the pandemic response efforts to help spare millions of Americans from suffering yearly from the flu."