NPR reorts that more Hispanic and African Americans are at a greater risk of contracting the Swine Fluand being hospitalized for it.
The article revealed that this is primarily because of the "social circumstances" facing many Hispanic and African Americans.
In Boston, the statistics were striking:
"Blacks make up one-quarter of the city's population, but they were 37 percent of the swine flu cases. Latinos are 14 percent of the population, but more than one-third of those with confirmed cases of the new H1N1 virus this spring and summer were Latino."
The reasons for these higher rates were attributed to the challenges of being a low income parent. Often, they are in jobs no sick days or leave, and many don't have backup childcare. As a result, many sick and contagious kids came to school, because they couldn't go home.
Officials are going to be focusing on low income and minority populations to encourage them to get the vaccine once it is available. It will be a challenge to have patients come in three times for these shots (twice for the Swine Flu vaccine, once for the seasonal flu vaccine). I know it is hard for us to get to appointments, and I have a job with paid family sick days.
I hope employers will support workers in taking paid sick days to take care of ill family members, and that community groups will step up and help with childcare and transportation to support these families.
Katy can be found at Non-Toxic Kids sharing helpful information about how to raise kids as naturally as possible. She is a teacher, freelance writer, and mama from the mountains of Vermont.
