Children with asthma are more vulnerable to H1N1 virus

Kathleen Sebelius, 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services, met with students and their parents at Thurgood Marshall Elementary to discuss the importance of education and creating healthy habits to avoid missing school. It is one of 16 schools in Philadelphia that partners with the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. Staying healthy can be a challenge for students with asthma. It is a factor that is even further complicated with the possibility of being exposed to the H1N1 virus. N1H1 can increase the severity of asthma symptoms, whcih can possibly lead to hospitalization. She has basically gone out of her way to ensure that young asthma students in her pennsylvania school will not be at a severe risk of contracting H1N1 . "The Philadelphia MCAN program shows that children can be taught to manage their asthma. This means an improved quality of life, significantly fewer trips to the ER, and more days in school," said Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-lead investigator of the Philadelphia MCAN project.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2009/09/08/children_with_asthma_more_vulnerable_to_h1n1_virus.html