In the current season, the flu has resulted in more child deaths in the USA than in any other time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, officials reported on Friday. According to the CDC's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 216 cases of child mortality have been recorded, exceeding the 207 cases registered last year.
Of 2000 hospitalized children with more detailed health information, only about 53 percent had any underlying conditions, such as asthma and obesity. The CDC report does not contain information on how many of the deceased children were vaccinated, however, data published at the beginning of this year indicates that flu vaccines may help prevent deaths and hospitalizations.
The CDC continues to recommend flu vaccination for all individuals over six months of age. The vaccination rate among children in the United States has dropped from 64 percent five years ago to 49 percent this season. A professor of infectious diseases from the University of Colorado, Sean O'Leary, emphasized that flu vaccines are effective in preventing hospitalizations and fatal outcomes.
O'Leary also noted that the current flu season has been particularly severe for both children and adults. Findings have also shown that there is diverse circulation of flu strains. Different strains, such as A, H1N1 and H3N2, have led to a larger number of infections. Despite a recent drop in flu indicators, the current season has been described as 'very severe'.
According to O'Leary, there have been nearly 5200 adults hospitalized with flu this season, and 95 percent of them had at least one existing underlying condition. This is the highest figure since the moment of the global H1N1 pandemic in 2009-2010.
