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The Penobscot County resident had other medical conditions, as did the first state victim, from York County.

The Associated Press November 7, 2009

AUGUSTA — A young man from Penobscot County has become the second Mainer to die of swine flu, state health officials said Friday.

The victim, who is not being identified, was between 18 and 25 years old and had serious underlying medical conditions, said Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mills said most people who get H1N1 have relatively mild infections, but "this news demonstrates how severe influenza can be, especially in those with underlying conditions, pregnant women and children."

The victim died this week at home and was not attending a local college or university, the CDC said. His name, the date of his death and his underlying medical problems were not being released, to protect his family's privacy.

The first victim, a York County resident in his 50s who died in August, also had an underlying medical condition, according to the CDC. He was hospitalized for three weeks.

Neighboring New Hampshire also recorded its first swine flu death in August, a 22-year-old woman whose other health problems may have contributed to her death. Vermont officials reported that state's first swine flu death in October, saying it was an adult with a serious underlying medical condition.

The latest death in Maine was reported a day after Mills said H1N1 has spread statewide and is causing widespread school absentee rates.

About 100 schools have held vaccine clinics, Mills said.

Vaccine supplies are limited in Maine, but Mills said a significant portion of the state's stockpile of antiviral medicines has been distributed for those who lack adequate insurance, are at risk for complications, have symptoms of H1N1 or have been exposed to a household member with influenza.

In Maine, six of 10 people responding to a recent survey said they plan to get the vaccine for themselves or for family members, while 34 percent said they will not. The rest were undecided or didn't answer. Critical Insights of Portland interviewed 600 Mainers from Oct. 23 to Oct. 27.

The World Health Organization declared a pandemic in June.