H1N1-related deaths higher for Aboriginals

A recent public health report probing Alberta’s H1N1-related deaths found that people of Aboriginal descent were almost twice as likely to die of H1N1-related causes than non-Aboriginal Albertans. That doesn’t mean Aboriginal people were more vulnerable to the disease, Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health, told the Edmonton Journal, but that they were more likely to suffer from underlying chronic health conditions that compounded its effects. “For example, low socioeconomic status, Aboriginal status, crowding, or earlier entry of influenza into Alberta resulting in an opportunity for more people to be affected before a vaccine was released may have all contributed,” the report stated. The public health analysis found the reported mortality rate for Alberta was the fifth highest in Canada, after Newfoundland and Labrador, and the three northern territories. The report cautioned the rate could be due to more complete reporting, differences in how cases are recorded, or greater exposure to the disease of those most vulnerable.