Following Child’s Influenza Death, State DHS Urges Vaccination

“I Got My Flu Shot.” Photo by Whoisjohngalt at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) is urging state residents to get vaccinated following the state’s first pediatric influenza death of the cold and flu season.

The death occurred in early January, though DHS released few other details during a media briefing Thursday, citing privacy concerns.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had pediatric flu deaths every year since it became reportable,” said Tom Haupt, a research scientist focused on Influenza. “So it’s not outside the norm that this happened, but regardless, it’s a tragedy that happened, and we give our sympathy to the family and friends of this child.”

Each year the state sees between one and six pediatric deaths due to complications from the flu. Children under five are at risk, especially if they have underlying illnesses that suppress their immune system, like asthma or diabetes.

“The big thing is to get vaccinated,” Haupt said. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent complications like hospitalizations and in this case, unfortunately, death.”

The flu vaccination rate in Wisconsin currently sits at 31.7%. The state health agency would like it to be at least 70%.

“Well, obviously, we’re very disappointed with the numbers,” Haupt said. “We were hoping they were gonna be much higher than what they are.”

The rate of vaccination in Milwaukee County is only 32.4%. The highest in the state is Dane County at 42.8%

Across the Midwest, some states have begun to see influenza cases trend down, but Wisconsin has not yet registered a decline in cases, Haupt said.

“If people have relatives in long term care facilities or any kind of children or family members who have underlying illnesses, who may have complications from flu, think about getting vaccinated,” Haupt said.