REGION: Latinos account for more than half of county's swine flu deaths
By EDWARD SIFUENTES – NC TImes, November 21, 2009
Nearly half of the people who have died of swine flu in San Diego County were Latinos, county health officials said.
But it's not their ethnicity that is putting them at risk of contracting and dying from the swine flu, health officials say.
Other health and social factors may be to blame.
Although Latinos make up only a quarter of the county's 3 million residents, they account for 15 of the 33 deaths that were reported in the county as of Friday, according to the county's Health and Human Services Agency.
The disproportionate number of Latinos and other minorities with swine flu, also known as the H1N1 influenza, has been reported in other parts of the country, such as Texas and Boston, where health officials have released preliminary reports on the spread of the virus.
Health officials said it is a troubling revelation, but one that is hardly surprising because of the Latino community's high poverty rate, lack of access to health care and high incidence of certain chronic diseases, including diabetes.
"It is surprising, but it is not surprising, because they are the most likely to lack access to health care," said Dr. Britt Rios-Ellis, a professor of health science at Cal State Long Beach, who specializes in Latino health.
Of the other swine-flu-related deaths in the county, eight people were white, three were black, one was Asian and one was listed as "other."
The race or ethnicity of five people was not known, said Jose Alvarez, a spokesman for the county's Health and Human Services Agency.
Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county's Public Health Officer, said the H1N1-related deaths in the county are consistent with what health officials expected.
Most deaths have been young people with compromising health conditions.
In other words, Latinos make up most of the cases, not because of their ethnicity, but because of medical and social issues that are prevalent in the community, she said.
"As we all know, people of color have a large number of underlying medical problems," Wooten said.
Health officials say the swine flu is especially risky to women who are pregnant, and children and adults who have certain health problems, such as respiratory illnesses, heart conditions and diabetes.
Because of the limited quantity of the H1N1 vaccine, health officials have given priority to these individuals and to those whose households include infants younger than 6 months old.
Latinos made up more than half of the 95 swine-flu-related deaths in Texas as of Oct. 17, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services, but they are only 37 percent of the state's population.
Health officials in Boston and Texas also have noted a disproportionate number of Latinos among the people who have contracted the virus.
In Boston, a third of all H1N1-related cases were Latinos, who make up about 14 percent of the city's population, according to an analysis in August by the Boston Public Health Commission.
Of the 33 deaths in San Diego County, people between the ages of 25 and 64 make up the largest portion ---- 26 deaths, or nearly 80 percent.
Four people were under age 24, and only three were seniors over 65 years old, according to the county.
Most were female ---- 22 ---- and 11 were males.
Nearly all of those whose deaths were associated with swine flu had underlying medical conditions, according to the county.
Rios-Ellis, who is co-director of the National Council of La Raza's Center for Latino Community Health, an organization that advocates for Latino health policies, said the H1N1 flu provides a strong argument in favor of universal health coverage.
She said that another reason why Latinos are especially susceptible to swine flu and other illnesses is that they often work in low-paying jobs that don't provide health insurance or paid sick leave.
Missing work means losing wages and potentially losing their jobs, she said.
"Latinos tend to underutilize the health care system," she said. "It is a result of the fact that they don't have employer-(provided) sick days or health insurance."
Call staff writer Edward Sifuentes at 760-740-3511.
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