NEW YORK (AP) — More children in the United States have died from flu this season than at any point since the H1N1 flu pandemic of 2009-2010, according to a federal report released Friday.
The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) exceed the 207 deaths recorded last year. It is the highest figure since the global H1N1 outbreak in 2009-2010.
It’s a surprisingly high number, given that the flu season isn’t over yet. The final tally of pediatric deaths for the 2023-2024 season wasn’t compiled until autumn.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said: “The number we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and it’s almost certain to rise when the season ends and all data are compiled.”
There are likely several factors contributing to the season’s severity, but a key one is that fewer children are receiving flu vaccines, added O’Leary, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Colorado.
The flu vaccination rate for children in the United States has fallen from 64% five years ago to 49% this season.
Flu vaccines don’t prevent people from getting symptoms, but research shows they are highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, O’Leary said.
The season has been hard not only on kids. CDC officials have described it as “very severe,” estimating that so far at least 47 million people have become ill, 610,000 have been hospitalized, and 26,000 have died this season.
CDC officials have data on underlying conditions for nearly 5,200 hospitalized adults this season, and 95% had at least one preexisting health issue. But of about 2,000 hospitalized children with more detailed health information, only roughly 53% had an underlying condition, such as asthma or obesity.
The CDC report does not indicate how many of the children who died were vaccinated. The agency did not provide an expert to speak about the flu season.
The good news is that flu activity has eased since February, and last week all 50 states reported low or minimal flu activity.
This season has seen more of a mix of flu strains circulating than in many other years, with two different Type A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, responsible for many infections. But data released earlier this year by the CDC indicate that flu vaccines have helped prevent deaths and hospitalizations.
The CDC continues to recommend that everyone aged six months and older receive an annual flu vaccine.
Childhood vaccination overall has declined amid online misinformation and the political divisions that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also repeated some of the anti-vaccine rhetoric since taking office as the country’s health secretary.
But there may be other reasons why fewer children received flu vaccines this year, O’Leary said.
Many pediatric offices are short-staffed and no longer offer as many after-hours vaccination appointments as in the past. In addition, more Americans are getting vaccinated at pharmacies, but some of these outlets do not offer vaccines for children, he noted.
“My hope is that this season serves as a wake-up call that we really need to vaccinate our kids against influenza,” he said.
