Children have been hit especially hard this flu season, CDC says. Here’s why
This flu season hasn’t been particularly severe, health officials say, but it has been hard on children.
Thirty-nine children ages 17 and younger have died of flu-related illnesses as of Jan. 11, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seven of those children died in the week ending Jan. 11.
At this time last year, there were 25 flu-related deaths among children, according to the CDC. A total of 143 children died during the 2018-2019 flu season.
Influenza B is likely to blame for the uptick in children getting sick, health officials say.
For the first time in 27 years, Influenza B viruses have been dominant in the United States, according to the CDC. The B strains of the virus are more common among young people and can be severe for children. Meanwhile, A strains (H1N1) are more commonly reported among older adults, the CDC says.
This season’s flu shot seems to be a “good match” for the H1N1 virus, but it hasn’t been as successful at combating the B strain, Dr. William Schaffner, medical director for the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases, told NBC News.
However, those who get a flu shot but still get the flu are less likely to have a severe case of it, Schaffner said, according to NBC.
In North Carolina, a 15-year-old died recently after contracting Influenza B and then going into septic shock, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.
The teen, Lacie Rian Fisher, didn’t get a flu shot but was otherwise “healthy and athletic,” the Citizen Times reported.
Nationwide, flu activity has been high, the CDC says, but the number of hospitalizations and deaths have not been.
“There’s a lot of children ill and fewer elderly ill, which is why we’re seeing lots of high levels of illness and not such high levels of hospitalization and mortality,” Lynnette Brammer with the CDC told FOX5.
There might be signs the B strain has leveled out. The numberof reported cases of the A and B strains have been about equal in recent weeks, the CDC reported.
About 13 million people who have had the flu this season, according to the CDC. About 120,000 have been hospitalized, and 6,600 have died.
Flu activity is expected to continue for many more weeks.
How to protect children from the flu
The flu shot is the best way to prevent the virus in children, according to the CDC. Although it’s best to be vaccinated by the end of October, getting the shot in January or later can still protect against the flu.
The CDC recommends that every child ages 6 months and older get a flu shot, and some may need two doses.
Children ages 6 months to 8 years who have not been vaccinated against the flu before or who have received only one dose in the past should get two doses four weeks apart this season, the CDC says. It’s best to talk to a child’s doctor to determine how many doses are needed.
Other ways to avoid the flu include staying home when sick, avoiding contact with those who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands often with soap and water, the CDC says.
Symptoms of the flu include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, fever, body aches and fatigue and headaches, the CDC says. Vomiting and diarrhea are more common in children.
If your child gets the flu, a doctor can help determine if they need to go on antiviral medicine, the CDC says.
This story was originally published January 21, 2020 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Children have been hit especially hard this flu season, CDC says. Here’s why."
