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Florida officials say the first flu death this season is a child. Elizabeth Keatinge has more.
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A vial of flu vaccine.(Photo: David Goldman / AP)

In general, headlines on influenza at this time of the year emphasize the need to get people to get vaccinated every year. But this week, another influenza story dominated the news: the death of a Florida child with flu, who had no known medical condition.

The story of the infant's first infant-related childhood death dramatically reminded why experts recommended to all residents of the country over the age of six months to be vaccinated against the flu . The deceased child has not been vaccinated; Health officials in Florida did not say if it was by choice or if it was so early in the season.

Here's what you need to know to stay healthy during the flu season.

Question: Does this death suggest that the flu season will be worse than usual?

Reply: It's certainly not typical to see a child die of the flu so soon, but the flu is so unpredictable that it's impossible to know if it's a sign of a stormy flu season, say the experts.

"I would not necessarily take it for granted that the influenza season would be particularly severe, but it's obvious that it's alarming with every death, especially in a child," said Dr. James Wood, an infectious disease specialist with Riley Hospital for Children and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Indiana University School of Medicine. "We do not know until the end of the influenza season that it will become serious."

Q: When is the flu season?

A: The flu follows its own schedule, which differs from year to year. In most years, influenza activity begins to develop in mid-October and peaks between December and February.

Q: What does this year's flu vaccine offer look like?

A: Until now, there is no sign of shortage of shots. Vaccine manufacturers plan to manufacture between 163 and 168 million doses of influenza vaccine this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the end of February, vaccine manufacturers had shipped 155.3 million doses of influenza vaccine, a record number.

Q: What are the side effects of a flu shot?

A: The most common side effects occur when the shot has been given as pain, redness or tenderness. A person may also develop a mild fever after shooting, accompanied by headaches and muscle aches. In rare cases – about 1 to 2 per million, a person can develop Guillain-Barré syndrome after being vaccinated against influenza.

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Q: Why are some people vaccinated against influenza?

A: Every year, scientists brainstorm on influenza strains that will circulate and develop the vaccine against this virus.

Last year, the vaccine had an overall effectiveness of about 40%, which means that people vaccinated reduced their risk of needing treatment for the flu by around 40%. This phenomenon, combined with a particularly virulent influenza strain, has led to the worst influenza season in a decade. According to the CDC, about 80,000 people have died from influenza or flu-related complications, including 180 children.

Q: What will this season look like?

A: Experts hope this season will be sweeter. According to what we have seen in the southern hemisphere, the vaccine fits well with the active influenza strains, said Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs at Franciscan Health and infectious disease specialist. Yet with the flu you never know.

"There is always a risk that the genetic makeup changes, so what we thought was a good deal ended up missing one of the strains," he said.

Q: Is the flu in Indiana?

A: Until now, influenza activity in Indiana is minimal, according to the state's weekly influenza report published Oct. 12. The state has not seen any deaths so far.

Throughout the UI health system, including all hospitals, clinics and emergency care centers, 11 people have been tested positive for the influenza virus since 4 August, 4 in September and 7 since January, said the health officials of the IU.

Franciscan Health has seen some patients admitted to the hospital with flu, said Doehring, adding, "It's far from a peak situation."

In Florida, where the child dies, public health officials announced Wednesday that the majority of counties in this state reported no flu activity or at most a benign activity.

Q: What about the nasal spray?

A: Two years ago, the CDC praised the nasal mist, claiming that it was not as effective as shooting. After a two-year hiatus, nasal fog is again available and the CDC stated that it had no preference for shooting over the spray or vice versa.

However, the fog was only given the go-ahead to return to the market during the summer, when many clinics had already ordered their flu shots, Wood said.

"A lot of places do not have it because the recommendation came late," said Wood.

Approved for people aged 2 to 49, the nasal spray has not been as effective in protecting people against the H1N1 virus, the virulent strain that caused a pandemic almost 10 years ago. While the CDC has now approved a new, improved nasal fog, with initial studies demonstrating its effectiveness, the American Academy of Pediatrics has approved the influenza vaccine as the preferred method of vaccination.

Q: Why should you bother to get vaccinated?

A: Health officials agree that even when, in years when the vaccine is poorly matched to dominant strains, it is always better to be vaccinated than not to do so. You can still catch the flu if you've had the shot, but if you get sick, you're less likely to die of the flu.

Late last month, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, former state health commissioner for Indiana, attended a press conference on immunization organized by the National Infectious Disease Foundation.

"[T]hat old thing "I got the flu shot, but I still got sick" well, you know what? he said, "You're not dead, and maybe you have not been hospitalized, and maybe you'd have it if you had not received it." the flu vaccine.

Call Shari Rudavsky, IndyStar staff reporter, at 317 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter: @sudavsky.

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