5 More Vaping-Related Illnesses Reported To CDC

State health officials reported five more cases of vaping-related illness Monday, doubling the number of cases reported to federal health officials. The Department of Public Health said two of the five cases recently reported to the Centers for Disease Control are confirmed to have to do with vaping, while three are "probable."

Among the 10 cases reported by the DPH, eight have resulted in people in the hospital. Five of the cases involved people under the age of 20, three between 40-49 and two between 20-39. Seven of the 10 patients were female.

Vaping THC was reported in half of the 10 cases, THC and nicotine were reported in four, and just nicotine was reported in one.

"While no one has pinpointed the exact cause of this outbreak of illness, we do know that vaping and e-cigarettes are the common thread and are making people sick," DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel said. "The information we’re gathering about cases in Massachusetts will further our understanding of vaping-associated lung injury, as well as assist our federal partners."

Eighty-three suspected vaping-related pulmonary cases have been reported to DPH since Sept. 11; 51 are being investigated and 22 were not reported to the CDC as they did not meet federal definitions.

Gov. Charlie Baker last week issued a four-month emergency ban of vaping sales in Massachusetts.

"The use of e-cigarettes and marijuana vaping products is exploding and we are seeing reports of serious lung illnesses, particularly in our young people," Baker said last Tuesday. "The purpose of this public health emergency is to temporarily pause all sales of vaping products so that we can work with our medical experts to identify what is making people sick and how to better regulate these products to protect the health of our residents."

Of the 805 confirmed and probable cases reported by 46 states to the CDC, twelve have resulted in deaths.