Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • My Cart
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • AAP Policy
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Policy
  • Pediatric Collections
    • COVID-19
    • Racism and Its Effect on Pediatric Health
    • More Collections...
  • Multimedia
    • Video Abstracts
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • Alerts
    • Table of Contents
    • Insights
  • AAP Career Center
  • Subscribe

CDC flu report: 8 more children have died

Melissa Jenco, News Content Editor
March 22, 2019

Editor's note:For the latest flu coverage, visit https://www.aappublications.org/collection/influenza.

Eight more children have died of flu, as activity remains well above average for this time of year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The updated figures came as federal officials were choosing flu strains for next season’s vaccines and discussing the potential for a delay in availability.

The additional deaths bring the total of children who have died this season to 76. The CDC estimates as many as 41,500 people have died across all age groups.

Flu was widespread in 44 states, and about 4.4% of outpatient clinic visits were for flu during the week ending March 16. Over the past decade, outpatient visits for flu at this time of year ranged from 1.7% to 3.2%.

As many as 454,000 people have been hospitalized for flu, a rate of 47.1 per 100,000 people. Children ages 4 and under have the second highest rate, 59 per 100,000.

Influenza A (H3N2) has been predominant for the past few weeks after H1N1 viruses dominated earlier in the season. H3N2 also has been a subject of discussion among health officials choosing virus strains for next season’s vaccines. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) delayed their decision on the H3N2 strain by about two weeks as experts collected more data to get the best match for circulating strains.

On Friday morning, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee approved an H3N2 strain. Its selections for all strains match the WHO’s. For the quadrivalent vaccines they recommend:

  • an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1) pdm09-like virus;
  • an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus;
  • a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus (B/Victoria/2/87 lineage); and
  • a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like virus (B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage).

For trivalent vaccines, they recommend the influenza B virus component be a B/Colorado/06/2017-like virus of the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage.

Pharmaceutical industry representatives said the delay in strain selection could mean a delay in vaccine availability in the fall, but they will have a better idea in the coming weeks.

The CDC and the Academy recommend everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated against the flu. Flu vaccine is 61% effective against medically attended influenza for children and 47% for the overall population, according to interim data from the CDC.

This season, inactivated influenza vaccine has been the primary vaccine choice, while quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine may be used for children who would not otherwise receive a vaccine, according to AAP policy.However, the  AAP recently announced that it will not have a preference between the two vaccines next season. 

Resources
  • "Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2018-2019"
  • AAP News story “How to code for flu vaccine, administration in 2018-’19 season”
  • Information from the CDC about flu
  • Information for parents on flu vaccine from HealthyChildren.org
  • AAP News stories on flu
  • Pediatrics seasonal flu article collection
Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Pediatrics

Advertising Disclaimer »

Download PDF
Email News Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
CDC flu report: 8 more children have died
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
CDC flu report: 8 more children have died
Melissa Jenco
March 22, 2019
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One
  • Digital Edition Current Issue
  • Latest Daily News
  • Archives
  • Collections
  • Columns
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe to AAP News Magazine
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • 2021 AAP Journals Catalog
  • Pediatrics
  • Pediatrics in Review
  • Hospital Pediatrics
  • NeoReviews
  • AAP Grand Rounds
  • AAP Career Center
  • shopAAP
  • AAP.org
  • AAP News
  • Visit AAP News on Facebook
  • Follow AAP News on Twitter
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics