This year’s fierce influenza season in intense in 15 years-there are federal health officials trying to figure out if there was an increase in a rare but threatening complication for brain life in children.
Centers for disease control and prevention estimate that 19,000 people have died from the flu so far this winter, including 86 children. On Thursday, the CDC reported at least nine of those children have experienced brain complications, and this has requested from the state health departments to help investigate whether there are more such cases.
There are some good news: CDC also reported that this year’s flu shooting does a very good job by preventing hospitalization from the flu – among the 45% of the Americans who were vaccinated. But it comes a day after the Trump administration added to the uncertainty that overthrows government health agencies by canceling a meeting of experts that are supposed to help choose the recipe for next winter flu vaccine.
However, it’s not too late to vaccinate this year: “If you haven’t received your flu yet, get it because we are still seeing high circulation of the flu in most of the country,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The effectiveness of firing the flu varies from year to year. While not excellent in blocking infections, the main role of the vaccine “is to keep you out of the hospital and keep you alive,” said Vanderbilt University vaccine expert Dr. William Schaffner.
Preliminary CDC data released on Thursday revealed that children who received this year’s vaccine were between 64% and 78% less likely to have been hospitalized than their unjust counterparts, and adults had 41% to 55% less likely to have been hospitalized.
What about those brain complications?
Earlier this month, state health departments and hospitals warned doctors to observe patients with children’s flu with seizures, hallucinations or other signs of “influenza or encephalitis” and a more severe subtype called “acute necrotizing encephalopathy”.
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain.
On Thursday, the CDC issued an analysis of 1,840 children’s flu deaths since 2010, finding 166 with those neurological complications.
Most were not vaccinated. But the agency concluded that it is unclear if the nine deaths of this year with those complications – four of which had the worst subtit – mark a rise.
There is no regular tracking of those neurological complications, making it difficult to find answers.
In California, Dr. Keith Van Hard from Stanford Medicine Health the children said earlier this month that he would learn about about 15 cases related to the flu this serious subtype by doctors across the country and “we are aware of more cases that may meet the criteria.”
He did not say how much they died.
O’Leary, with the Academy of Pediatricians, said that parents should remember that this complication is rare – the tips to seek medical advice at all times that a child with the flu has unusual or disturbing symptoms, such as breathing.
Doctors see more neurological complications during severe influenza seasons – they can be associated with special grip strains – and survivors may have constant seizures or other constant problems, he said.
Meanwhile, vaccine manufacturers are already preparing for the process of long months of creating next winter flu shooting.
A Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee had to meet on March 13 to help choose the strain to include, but with the cancellation of that meeting, it is unclear whether the government will decide itself.
“We have worked historically really hard to get transparency about all these vaccine discussions,” said O’Leary, who said it is important for the public to understand what goes to make decisions about the composition of the flu and other vaccines recommendations.
“FDA will make its public recommendations for manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 flu season,” said Andrew Nixon, Director of Communication for the Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email.
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