US CDC reports 216 child deaths this flu season

New York, May 3 (IANS) Twelve pediatric deaths associated with seasonal influenza virus infection were reported in the US in the week ending April 26, bringing the season total to 216 pediatric deaths, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

This number of pediatric deaths exceeds the previous high reported for a regular (non-pandemic) season, Xinhua news agency reported.

The previous high of 207 was reported during the 2023-2024 season, according to the weekly influenza surveillance report released by the CDC.

According to the CDC, seasonal influenza activity continues to decline, but this season is classified as a high severity season overall and for all age groups (children, adults, older adults) and is the first high severity season since 2017-2018.

The CDC estimates that there have been at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalisations, and 26,000 deaths from flu in the country so far this season.

The CDC continues to recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine as long as influenza viruses are circulating.

There are likely several contributors to this season's severity, but a big one is that fewer children are getting flu shots, according to Sean O'Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Flu vaccinations may not prevent people from coming down with symptoms, but research shows they are highly effective at preventing hospitalisations and deaths, O'Leary said.

The season has not only been hard on children.

CDC officials have information about underlying conditions on nearly 5,200 adults who were hospitalised with flu this season, and 95 per cent had at least one existing health problem. But among 2,000 hospitalised children with more detailed health information, only about 53 per cent had an underlying condition — including asthma and obesity.

The CDC report did not say how many of the children who died were vaccinated.

The good news is that flu indicators have been waning since February, and last week all 50 states were reporting low or minimal flu activity.

Childhood vaccinations in general have been declining, driven by online misinformation and the political schism that emerged around Covid-19 vaccines.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also echoed some of the rhetoric of antivaccine activists since taking over as the nation's Health Secretary.

--IANS

int/khz