WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The new H1N1 swine flu virus  has killed 36 U.S. children, the U.S. Centers for Disease  Control and Prevention reported yesterday.

It said 67 percent of them had medical conditions putting  them more at risk of severe disease, such as asthma, or were  disabled with conditions such as cerebral palsy, but 22 percent  of the children were under 5 and healthy.

The CDC said that by August 8 it had reports of 477 deaths  from the pandemic H1N1 virus, including 36 children under 18.

“In two-thirds of those, the child had at least one severe  underlying illness or underlying disability … cerebral palsy,  muscular dystrophy, long-standing respiratory or cardiac  problems,” CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden told reporters in a  telephone briefing.