CDC releases latest Swine Flu figures

Thirty-six children have died from Swine Flu, according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control.  Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of CDC:

“In two-thirds of those cases, the child had one severe underlying illness, or underlying disability, muscular dystrophy, long standing musculatory or cardiac problems. There were some children who didn´t have an underlying condition and who did become severely ill and they were generally infected also by bacteria.”

In all, there's been 477 deaths in the US connected to Swine Flu. Dr. Frieden said the H1-N1 virus is spreading in parts of the US, particularly in the Southeast where many have already returned to school.

According to the American College Health Association, some 1600 cases of Swine Flu were reported at colleges and universities last week alone. But the CDC says while the flu may affect many people - up to half the US population - most will not get severely ill.

Dr. Frieden says they are also looking at the risk to healthcare workers:

“They are the first line of defense and we need to ensure that we do everything we can to reduce to the greatest extent possible their risk of becoming ill on the job.  Protecting healthcare workers involves many different factors including how the healthcare are organized, whether people who are not severely ill come in for care and overwhelm the system and how many different healthcare workers have contact with people who may be infected.”

The Institute of Medicine released a report today examining the best ways to protect healthcare workers, including the use of masks or respiratory devices.

The CDC said the Swine Flu vaccine isn't ready yet, but is expected to be available by mid-October. The vaccine will be free and some states and cities could cover the costs to administer the shot. CDC recommends all school children and people with underlying conditions and risk factors get the vaccine.