The official number of people who have died after suffering from lung injuries linked to the use of vape pens and e-cigarettes has risen to 64.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the deaths have been confirmed in 28 states and the District of Columbia as of Feb. 4. Four of those deaths occurred in the last three weeks, and more deaths are currently under investigation.
A total of 2,758 hospitalizations have been reported to the CDC from across all 50 states, and D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The federal agency now refers to these injuries as EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury).
Though the death toll has risen to more than five dozen, the CDC says that emergency hospital visits for vaping-related illnesses are declining since they peaked in September.
However, some researchers say they continue to see a steady flow of patients coming in with lung injuries after vaping.
Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander, a pulmonologist at the University of California, San Diego, who has been studying the effects of e-cigarettes since 2013, said she still consistently receives patients suffering from EVALI.
“When I look at the numbers on the CDC website, it looks like there’s been this huge dropoff [in EVALI cases] since October. I’m not convinced that that is accurate,” Alexander told HuffPost, adding that she sees at least two patients with these conditions per week at UCSD’s School of Medicine.
“We are still seeing so many cases here [in San Diego],” she added. “I don’t think it’s over yet.”
In November, the CDC identified vitamin E acetate, an ingredient added to some vaping products that use THC, the chemical in marijuana that produces a “high,” as a possible culprit in the illnesses and deaths.
On its website, the CDC notes that the ingredient, an oil, is “strongly linked” to the outbreak.
“Vitamin E acetate has been found in product samples tested by FDA and state laboratories and in patient lung fluid samples tested by CDC from geographically diverse states,” the CDC writes.
The CDC now recommends that manufacturers and vape users refrain from adding vitamin E acetate to any of their products.
Alexander is concerned that the sense of urgency surrounding the dangers of vape products was quickly dying out while the health risks remain.
“Patients with EVALI can become incredibly ill,” she said, adding that treatment sometimes requires highly invasive procedures, including lung transplants.
“In addition, some patients are dying within two to three days of being discharged from the hospital ― which is terrifying,” Alexander told HuffPost.
And though the CDC has identified vitamin E acetate as a problematic ingredient in vape products, Alexander said many of her patients still use products containing vitamin E.
The Food and Drug Administration placed a nationwide ban on vaping products that contain sweet, mint or fruit flavoring in an attempt to make vape products and e-cigarettes less appealing to minors in early January.
Among 2,668 cases of lung illness reported by the CDC as of Jan. 14, 52% involved patients who were 24 or younger.
Fifteen percent of those cases involved patients who were 18 or younger.
Tobacco and menthol flavors have been allowed to remain on the market.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.