When it comes to the swine flu vaccine, overweight people are catching a break.
Los Angeles County health officials have added the morbidly obese to the priority list for the H1N1 vaccine.
According to a new study released Wednesday, when it comes to H1N1, obesity appears to be on par with pregnancy, the Arizona Republic reported:
Researchers have seen anecdotal reports that the obese might be at greater risk of complications from infection, but it has never been clear whether this was a result of the obesity itself or of other risk factors associated with obesity, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Most overweight people suffer from such problems, which are known risk factors for complications from seasonal flu.
In fact, two-thirds of those hospitalized with complications from swine flu had such underlying risk factors, but that means a third of them didn't, said Dr. Janice K. Louie, the lead author of the new study.
So far in Orange County, 32 people have died from the H1N1 virus. In Los Angeles, the swine flu death toll is at 65 people.
