The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that more than 100 children have died this flu season.
Alicia Bader, the CDC’s national influenza surveillance officer, reported Friday that more than half of these tragic deaths occurred in otherwise healthy children.
This season, influenza is at its peak nationwide, resulting in at least 28 million reported cases of all ages, 310,000 hospitalizations, and approximately 20,000 deaths.
Underestimating the flu
Kristina Bryant, an infectious disease pediatrician at Norton Medical Center in Louisville, Kentucky, told NBC News that many families who lose children to the flu don’t realize the disease’s deadly potential.
“There’s a common misconception among families that the flu is just another cold virus and no big deal,” Bryant said.
Alexandra Yonts, a physician at Children’s National Hospital, explained that children are particularly susceptible to influenza because they have smaller respiratory tracts and more reactive immune systems.
These factors can lead to an overwhelming immune response, leading to serious or even fatal outcomes.
Vaccination
Fortunately, the flu vaccine offers a glimmer of hope. Nearly 90% of pediatric deaths this season occurred in children who were not fully vaccinated.
With childhood vaccination rates at just over 50%, preliminary CDC data shows vaccines have prevented hospitalization in up to 61% of cases.
The CDC report also noted the unpredictability of influenza strains, with influenza A strains causing about half of all childhood deaths this season.
“The vaccine reduces a child’s risk of needing to see a doctor by about two-thirds. It reduces your risk of being hospitalized by about half,” Bard added.
Bader added that nearly 90 percent of children who died from the flu this year were not fully vaccinated. For most children, this means only one injection per year. But babies under 8 years old need two doses if they have never had a flu vaccine before.
