The Flu Killed 7 Children Last Week – but It’s Hitting Baby Boomers Even Harder

This year’s severe flu season brought at least seven more pediatric deaths in the past week – bringing the total to 37 so far this season. Baby Boomers, however, are among the hardest hit, with an unusually high rate of hospitalizations this year, according to CDC officials. “Baby Boomers have higher rates [of hospitalization] than their grandchildren right now,” CDC Influenza Division Director Dr. Dan Jernigan said during a call with reporters Friday. During a typical flu season, elderly adults see the highest rate of hospitalizations, followed by young children. But this year, Jernigan said, adults between the ages of 50 and 64 are occupying the second spot, perhaps because that population is seeing infections resulting from both the widely circulating, severe H3N2 virus, as well as the H1N1 virus. Patients of all ages are reporting cases of the flu this year. Jernigan said the 2017-2018 flu season is on pace with the high severity season of 2014-2015, which resulted in approximately 34 million cases of influenza and some 710,000 hospitalizations. This year’s flu season is expected to yield similar numbers, Jernigan said. Jernigan also said the pediatric death total, which is at 37 after the latest report, may account for as few as half of the actual number of fatalities, since more cases tend to be reported retroactively as causes of death are confirmed by medical examiners and coroners. More deaths are also likely to occur as flu season pres...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized CDC flu season flu season 2018 healthytime influenza medicine onetime public health Source Type: news