The fundamentals involving the H1N1 flu haven’t changed a lot since it was declared a pandemic a little over six weeks ago, but fresh elements about the outbreak keep rolling out. A sampling from today: As many as 40% of Americans could catch swine flu over the next two years and anywhere between 90,000 to several hundred thousand could die if U.S. vaccine efforts and other countermeasures don’t work, according to CDC estimates cited by the Associated Press . Those estimates mean about twice the number of people who usually get sick in a normal flu season would be struck by swine flu, but U.S. officials say those projections would drop if vaccine plans go as expected. Most people affected by the disease remain younger (12 to 17 years old), but the World Health Organization says the average age seems to be creeping up a

bit. That may be because early flu outbreaks were often concentrated in schools while H1N1 now is spreading more widely in communities, according to a WHO update . WHO also said there is “accumulating evidence suggesting pregnant women are at higher risk for more severe disease” if they catch H1N1. And obesity and people in some minority populations could also face more severe cases of the flu. But the agency adds that the data on these fronts remain murky. Germany is ordering 50 million doses of H1N1 vaccine , enough for about a third of its population, according to Dow Jones Newswires . Germany didn’t identify its suppliers but swine-flu vaccine manufacturers include GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis and Baxter International. Image of a flu-virus particle via CDC

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Swine-Flu Update: CDC Estimates, Older Victims & Risk Factors