- At least 216 children have died from flu-related complications this year.
- Experts say pediatric vaccination has dropped below 50%.
- The flu season appears to be winding down.
More children have died of influenza this flu season than at any time since the swine flu epidemic 15 years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said 216 children have died, including 12 deaths reported this week. And nearly 2,900 children with flu were admitted to U.S. hospitals this week.
According to CDC estimates of the 2024-25 season so far, there have been “at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths from flu so far,” including all ages.
CNN notes that the numbers are “startlingly high” since flu season continues. “The final death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn’t counted until autumn.”
That article quoted Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics: “This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount and one that — when the season is declared over and they compile all the data — is almost certain to go up."
According to the public health giant, three types of viruses have been “co-circulating” this week: Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B viruses that were not specified.
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy reported that just over 1 in 8 of the children who died had influenza-associated encephalopathy or encephalitis, which are the most severe neurologic complications. But because there’s no national surveillance specifically for the neurologic complications, “it is unknown if the numbers of cases this season vary from expected numbers,” the report said.
Flu season may be winding down
The good news is that seasonal flu activity is declining, per the CDC.
But the bad news is this was a “high severity season overall and for all age groups.” That designation was last seen in the 2017-2018 season. And the hospitalization rate was the highest seen since 2010-2011.
The report also noted no new bird flu cases were reported in the past week.
Besides recommending vaccination against influenza, the CDC recommends that people who get the flu start taking prescription antiviral medication as soon as possible — especially if they are a higher risk of severe illness.
Influenza complications
It’s not a short list. That category includes adults 65 and older, children younger than 5 but especially those younger than 2, people with asthma, those with chronic lung disease or neurologic conditions, people with chronic disorders, those who are obese, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, among others.
The CDC reported that 90% of those hospitalized with flu had at least one underlying health condition.
O’Leary noted that the flu vaccination rate for children in the U.S. had dropped to just under half.
People often struggle to figure out whether they actually have the flu, a cold or another type of illness. Health experts have long said that if you’re fine one minute and feel like someone ran over you the next, it’s apt to be influenza, because symptoms come on suddenly.
Those symptoms include fever, aches (including headaches), chills, fatigue, cough, stuffed or runny nose and sometimes sore throat. Children may also experience earaches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, per the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.