Ingham County child is Michigan's 1st influenza-related pediatric death this season
A child from Ingham County is the first influenza-associated pediatric death in Michigan this flu season, the state health department announced Thursday.
The child, whom the health department did not identify by age or gender, contracted Influenza A/H3. The death occurred in the fall, said Chelsea Wuth, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Neither Wuth nor Ingham County Health Department spokesperson Victoria Coykendall would provide additional information about the child to protect privacy.
The state health department said at least 111 influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported nationally in the current flu season, according to its latest weekly influenza surveillance report Feb. 17 for the week ending Feb. 11.
It's not too late for a flu vaccination
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, said in a release that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine.
“Once children reach 6 months of age, it is recommended they receive two doses of the flu vaccine for their first series. In addition, pregnant women should get the flu vaccine during each pregnancy. Flu vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine," she said.
Health officials say the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent getting the flu and can reduce the severity of illness.
From October through Feb. 11, preliminary estimates calculate at least 25 million to 51 million flu illnesses; 12 million to 25 million flu medical visits; 280,000 to 630,000 related hospitalizations, and 18,000 to 56,000 deaths nationally, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More:Flu threatens early surge. Doctors urge vaccinations now.
More:Macomb County boy dies from RSV as Michigan pediatric hospitals fill with sick kids
Why did it take months to report the flu death?
Regarding the lag in reporting the death, "The process for officially confirming and reporting pediatric influenza deaths happens in several different ways, and may take place over a wide range of time," Wuth said in an email.
"In addition to the typical processes for surveillance and required disease reporting to state and local public health, pediatric influenza deaths also involve local medical examiners completing their investigation, documenting and reporting their findings and making a ruling on the cause of death. The process also includes completing (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reporting requirements since pediatric deaths are nationally notifiable."
Most positive influenza specimens confirmed by the state health department's Bureau of Laboratories this flu season have been Influenza A/H3 virus, according to the release.
Health officials said this virus can cause severe flu infections in children as well as adults. They said the H3N2 strain is a component of the current seasonal flu vaccine and getting vaccinated provides extra protection, particularly for those at increased risk of complications, such as adults older than 65, people with underlying medical conditions and those who are pregnant.
State health officials said flu vaccine coverage among children ages 6 months through 17 years old is more than 3% lower this flu season (18.8%) compared with the 2021-22 flu season (22.2%), according to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry.
To find flu vaccines, call your health care provider, local health department or visit vaccines.gov. For more information about the flu, visit michigan.gov/flu.
Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challreporter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ingham Co. child's death influenza-associated, health dept. says
