Influenza showed the widest gap between observed and expected deaths among autistic people enrolled in Medicaid, with flu deaths running about 10.5 times the rate expected from comparison groups, according to a JAMA Network Open study highlighted by CIDRAP.
Three of the six causes with the highest ratios involved the lungs: flu, pneumonitis from inhaled food or liquid, and pneumonia. The findings arrive as the fall respiratory season approaches and the CDC's vaccine advisory committee remains sidelined by litigation.
