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Martha Stewart
Dr. Brian Chow is an infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center.
The death of a third Massachusetts child, a flu victim this season – identified Wednesday as a 4-year-old Lowell girl – has raised concern about the dangers of contagious respiratory diseases among young people. In the last influenza season, only one infant flu death was reported in the state, health officials said.
The Globe asked Dr. Brian Chow, an infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center, why some young people seemed more likely than others to have flu complications and how the flu season accumulated.
How unusual is it to have children's deaths related to influenza?
Every year, several hundred children die of influenza in the country. Unlike adult deaths, these are to be reported directly to the health authorities. Unfortunately, it is more common than we think. But most children who have the flu will give it back.
What can make children more likely to die of the flu?
In general, children are more likely to get sick. The anatomy and lungs of different aspects allow them to switch to a serious illness. In case of serious infection, the inflammation can become uncontrollable and lead to severe lung disease.
In other cases, children may not be vaccinated, which could lead to serious illness. Some children may have asthma. Some children are born with heart problems that could expose them to complications. There are other children who could fight cancer or have another disease.
This year's strain is the H1N1 strain, which is the same as that of the 2009 swine flu. Children were slightly more susceptible, but that could have changed since the last time we examined it.
How fast can a child die from the flu?
As a rule, this will happen quickly over the course of several days. Sometimes children can deteriorate in a few hours. If a child has a runny nose and sore throat one day, the next day he can go down to the lungs and give them pneumonia. They can get tired and no longer have the energy to breathe. It can take several hours. That is why it is important for your child to receive medical care if he is not breathing well.
Can children die if they have been vaccinated?
In theory, it is still possible to have a serious flu if you have been vaccinated. Deaths among vaccinated children are much less common. The influenza vaccine reduces the risk of death from influenza by 50% in children with chronic diseases and 65% in healthy children.
How does this year's influenza strain compare to that of last year?
This year, the most recent national reports show that we have had 34 pediatric deaths due to influenza since October. Last year at this time, there had been 113 pediatric deaths related to influenza. Nationally, I think the number of deaths from influenza in children is going down. Why we see more in Massachusetts can be based on chance. I can tell you that in our hospital [Tufts Medical Center] several adults have been hospitalized for complications related to the flu. We are at slightly lower levels than last year for influenza activity.
Ysabelle Kempe can be contacted at [email protected].
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