By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Author

NEW YORK (AP) — Extra U.S. kids have died this flu season than at any time for the reason that swine flu pandemic 15 years in the past, in line with a federal report launched Friday.

The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported final 12 months. It’s probably the most for the reason that 2009-2010 H1N1 world flu pandemic.

It’s a startlingly excessive quantity, provided that the flu season remains to be occurring. The ultimate pediatric dying tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasn’t counted till autumn.

“This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and one that — when the season is declared over, and they compile all the data — it’s almost certain to go up,” mentioned Dr. Sean O’Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

There are possible a number of contributors to this season’s severity, however an enormous one is that fewer kids are getting flu pictures, added O’Leary, a College of Colorado pediatric infectious illnesses specialist.

The flu vaccination price for U.S. kids has plummeted from about 64% 5 years in the past to 49% this season.

Flu vaccinations might not stop individuals from coming down with signs, however analysis exhibits they’re extremely efficient at stopping hospitalizations and deaths, O’Leary mentioned.

The season has not solely been laborious on kids. CDC officers have described it as “ highly severe,” and estimate that to this point there have been not less than 47 million diseases, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths this season.

CDC officers have details about underlying situations on almost 5,200 adults who had been hospitalized with flu this season, and 95% had not less than one present well being drawback. However amongst 2,000 hospitalized kids with extra detailed well being data, solely about 53% had an underlying situation — together with bronchial asthma and weight problems.

The CDC report didn’t say how most of the kids who died had been vaccinated. The company didn’t make an skilled out there to speak in regards to the flu season.

The season has seen extra of a mixture of flu pressure circulating than in lots of different years, with two completely different Sort A strains — H1N1 and H3N2 — inflicting a variety of infections. However CDC information launched earlier this 12 months urged flu pictures had been doing a reasonably good job at stopping deaths and hospitalizations.

The CDC continues to advocate that everybody ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine.

Childhood vaccinations generally have been declining, pushed by on-line misinformation and the political schism that emerged round COVID-19 vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has additionally echoed among the rhetoric of antivaccine activists since taking on because the nation’s well being secretary.

However there could also be different causes fewer kids bought flu pictures this 12 months, O’Leary mentioned.

Many pediatricians workplaces are understaffed and aren’t holding as many after-hours vaccination clinics as prior to now. Additionally, extra People are getting their vaccinations at pharmacies, however some drugstores don’t vaccinate kids, he mentioned.

”My hope is that this season can be a little bit of get up name for people that we truly do must vaccinate our children towards influenza,” O’Leary mentioned.

The Related Press Well being and Science Division receives assist from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Instructional Media Group and the Robert Wooden Johnson Basis. The AP is solely accountable for all content material.

Initially Revealed: Might 2, 2025 at 11:23 AM EDT