Flu this season - who dies?

[Anonymous]

I know the flu shot isn't 100% effective against getting the flu but it does weaken the reaction, right?

My basic question is can an otherwise healthy child who has had the shot still die from flu?

What I'm reading online doesn't report which of the fatalities, if any, had had the shot.

[Anonymous]

Kids
Asthmatics
Elderly
Immune-compromised
Pregnant women

40% of kids who die from flu were otherwise healthy. It is very rare though.

[Anonymous]

Those who are risk for death/complications are typically those in high risk groups (elderly, infants, those with compromised immune systems).

[Anonymous]

But did the people who died have the shot?

[Anonymous]

Yes 2 o fthe children that died had the flu shot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know the flu shot isn't 100% effective against getting the flu but it does weaken the reaction, right?

My basic question is can an otherwise healthy child who has had the shot still die from flu?

What I'm reading online doesn't report which of the fatalities, if any, had had the shot.

If the child is allowed to dehydrate and medical attention is not sought, yes.

This why children in developing countries die from things like measles, mumps, etc. It's not the primary illness that kills them. It's the secondary effects and it's mostly dehydration because there is no adequate availability of clean water to use for rehydration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes 2 o fthe children that died had the flu shot

Can you share where you got that? I would like more raw data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the flu shot isn't 100% effective against getting the flu but it does weaken the reaction, right?

My basic question is can an otherwise healthy child who has had the shot still die from flu?

What I'm reading online doesn't report which of the fatalities, if any, had had the shot.

If the child is allowed to dehydrate and medical attention is not sought, yes.

This why children in developing countries die from things like measles, mumps, etc. It's not the primary illness that kills them. It's the secondary effects and it's mostly dehydration because there is no adequate availability of clean water to use for rehydration.

Meaning that my child won't die because I will use medical care if needed? The newspapers are reporting deaths of people under 17 who received good medical care but again not reporting if they also had the flu shot.

I'm not trying to start a vax fight; we all got the shot.

[Freeman]

First of all, there's not just a single flu out there. There are certain strains that are more prevalent, and the vaccine is typically formulated to protect against those strains. Those strains can also mutate over the course of time, reducing the immunity, but in those cases, you generally will only contract a milder version of the flu. There are also other, less common strains of flu out there which the vaccine doesn't protect against. Without extensive genetic testing to determine exactly which strain of flu each person contracted, the statistic of whether they had the flu shot or not is meaningless.

Yes, some percentage of people that have had flu shots will likely die from the flu. However, that is not a useful fact, and nothing should be inferred from it outside of a broader context.

[Anonymous]

Freeman wrote:First of all, there's not just a single flu out there. There are certain strains that are more prevalent, and the vaccine is typically formulated to protect against those strains. Those strains can also mutate over the course of time, reducing the immunity, but in those cases, you generally will only contract a milder version of the flu. There are also other, less common strains of flu out there which the vaccine doesn't protect against. Without extensive genetic testing to determine exactly which strain of flu each person contracted, the statistic of whether they had the flu shot or not is meaningless.

Yes, some percentage of people that have had flu shots will likely die from the flu. However, that is not a useful fact, and nothing should be inferred from it outside of a broader context.

I agree with your first paragraph but this year the prevalent strain is H3N2 and that is what people are dying of. It's also what the shot targeted this season.

I'm looking for reassurance and I will find it if most people who die didn't have the shot. I don't see the harm in knowing the facts on the ground.

[Anonymous]

In the past 9 years 829 children have died of the flu.

That is about 92 children per year. (Of course some years are worse than others. The worse year being 153 children.)

40% or about 37 have no know health condition.
Since the flu vaccine is 70% affective then you could surmise that about about 12 vaccinated and 25 unvaccinated children die per year on average.

1/3 of the children are <5 years old. So on average 12 healthy 6+ year old children die of the flu. (The worse year being 20 children.)

Those are the numbers from these two articles.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57563267/not-too-late-to-get-flu-vaccine-fda-urges/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/24/health/flu-fatalities/index.html

I am not taking sides here - clearly it would be great if we could all get the vaccine. We are surrounded by unheathly children and we don't need to get them sick with the flu. But we also don't have to walk around in fear 24x7.

Wash your hands and stay healthy!

[Anonymous]

13:17, thank you for that!

But part of it assumes the answer to the question I am asking, which is the relationship between the shot and death. The stats about the shot being effective are based on more than death, such as getting sick at all, and change based on how well any given year's shot matches the flu types that go around that year.

This is a fairly homogenous year for the flu types going around and the shot was well-targeted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
40% or about 37 have no know health condition.
Since the flu vaccine is 70% affective then you could surmise that about about 12 vaccinated and 25 unvaccinated children die per year on average.

That's not an accurate calculation. You are applying the 70% to the wrong group.

[Anonymous]

From APS--food for thought:

Protect yourself and others

Please remember that preventing illness and the spread of disease protects not just you and your family, but also children who may have serious conditions affecting their ability to fight off infections. Every classroom has one or more students who may have asthma, diabetes, heart disease, severe allergies, cystic fibrosis, cancer or other conditions that make them vulnerable.

I am lucky to have two healthy children. I work in the vaccine field and I am admant about getting all required vaccines, and extra like the flu.

It makes me really sad to think of the poor kids with some of the serious conditions mentioned in my kid's classes--going through chemo, etc. Our small contribution as a family.

[Anonymous]

OP here, totally agree with the PP. just to reiterate, everyone in my household has gotten the shot.

I'm just concerned with two toddlers and a pregnant woman in the house.