CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season, the most in 15 years

Extra U.S. kids have died this flu season than at any time for the reason that swine flu pandemic 15 years in the past, in keeping with a federal report launched Friday.

The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported final yr. It is essentially the most for the reason that 2009-2010 H1N1 world flu pandemic.

It is a startlingly excessive quantity, on condition that the flu season remains to be happening. The ultimate pediatric dying tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn’t counted till autumn.

“This quantity that we’ve now could be nearly definitely an undercount, and one which — when the season is said over, they usually compile all the information — it is nearly sure to go up,” mentioned Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There are possible a number of contributors to this season’s severity, however an enormous one is that fewer kids are getting flu pictures, added O’Leary, a College of Colorado pediatric infectious illnesses specialist.

The flu vaccination charge for U.S. kids has plummeted from about 64% 5 years in the past to 49% this season.

Flu vaccinations might not forestall individuals from coming down with signs, however analysis exhibits they’re extremely efficient at stopping hospitalizations and deaths, O’Leary mentioned.

The season has not solely been onerous on kids. CDC officers have described it as ” extremely extreme,” and estimate that up to now there have been a minimum of 47 million sicknesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths this season.

CDC officers have details about underlying situations on almost 5,200 adults who have been hospitalized with flu this season, and 95% had a minimum of one current well being downside. However amongst 2,000 hospitalized kids with extra detailed well being info, solely about 53% had an underlying situation — together with bronchial asthma and weight problems.

The CDC report didn’t say how most of the kids who died have been vaccinated. The company didn’t make an knowledgeable accessible to speak concerning the flu season.

The excellent news is that flu indicators have been waning since February, and final week all 50 states have been reporting low or minimal flu exercise.

The season has seen extra of a mixture of flu pressure circulating than in lots of different years, with two totally different Kind A strains — H1N1 and H3N2 — inflicting lots of infections. However CDC knowledge launched earlier this yr prompt flu pictures have been doing a fairly good job at stopping deaths and hospitalizations.

The CDC continues to suggest that everybody ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.

Childhood vaccinations usually have been declining, pushed by on-line misinformation and the political schism that emerged round COVID-19 vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has additionally echoed a few of the rhetoric of antivaccine activists since taking up because the nation’s well being secretary.

However there could also be different causes fewer kids acquired flu pictures this yr, O’Leary mentioned.

Many pediatricians places of work are understaffed and aren’t holding as many after-hours vaccination clinics as prior to now. Additionally, extra People are getting their vaccinations at pharmacies, however some drugstores do not vaccinate kids, he mentioned.

“My hope is that this season will likely be a little bit of get up name for folk that we truly do have to vaccinate our children in opposition to influenza,” O’Leary mentioned.

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