EVERETT — An Everett man in his 20s has died from the swine flu, at least the eighth person in Snohomish County to die from complications of the virus.
The man was hospitalized on Nov. 23 and died on Dec. 10, said Suzanne Pate, spokeswoman for the Snohomish Health District.
The man had no underlying health conditions, such as asthma or heart problems, that put people at higher risk for dying from swine flu. No other details were available Tuesday evening.
This is at least the second death of a young adult in the county. Earlier this month, health officials announced that an Everett woman in her 20s had died.
Another death of a woman in her 20s is also suspected of being linked to swine flu, but not yet confirmed, Pate said.
Swine flu has hit younger people disproportionately — far harder than seasonal flu. Nationally, an estimated 7,500 people under the age of 65 have died from the H1N1 virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Overall, seven adults and one infant have died from swine flu in Snohomish County.
The most recent death means that six people have died within the past six weeks from complications of swine flu. Two men died in the spring.
Until last week, the vaccine for swine flu had been rationed to people at highest risk for severe health problems or death caused by swine flu. That included pregnant women and people from 6 months to 24 years old.
The vaccine is now available to anyone who wants it. However, anyone interested in the vaccine should call ahead for appointments and to make sure the vaccine is available.
In a related development, state Department of Health officials said that some swine flu vaccine for children under 3 is being voluntarily recalled. There are no safety issues, but the vaccine is not as potent as it should be, spokesman Tim Church said.
The vaccine is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. It is a single-dose vaccine without preservatives.
Federal health officials are confident that it can still provide protection for the kids who were vaccinated, he said. “It was just barely not potent enough,” Church added.
There are no plans to have children who got the vaccine to get revaccinated, Church said.
Multidose vials of the shot are still available and are not affected by the recall. Healthy kids over age 2 can also have flu mist, Church said.
However, children 9 and under still need two doses of H1N1 vaccine at least 28 days apart.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486, salyer@heraldnet.com.
Get vaccinated
For a list of pharmacies and clinics where the swine flu vaccine is available, check the Web site www.snocoflu.com.
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