12-year old death in MA

[LindsayK]

A 12 year old died over the weekend after contracting the flu, and astonishingly enough, the media is actually publishing a few details about what happened:

Boston.com article

He was not vaccinated against the flu. "They think that he died because he didn't get his flu shot," Pope said, referring to media reports. "That's not the case. The doctors and everyone says really, it doesn't have a huge bearing on it."

Pope said doctors told him a "Trojan horse" infection was responsible for Hunter's sudden decline on Sunday. The Boston Public Health Commission is awaiting test results that will reveal which strain of flu Hunter had, and any other infections.

It looks like its possible the flu weakend his immune system, allowing for a secondary infection such as MRSA to gain hold.

Is it possible with MRSA to contract it (say at the ER) and die in the same day?

[k9sarchik]

4 children here in Colorado were just reported to have died from the flu in the past month.
None had had the flu shot, which of course they are reporting would have prevented their deaths. 3 of the 4 had already had other health conditions, but they aren't reporting what those conditions were.

MRSA does run rampant in hospitals now.

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

MRSA does run rampant in hospitals now.

That is very true.
In my hospital we now have to screen every single patient for MRSA and have protocols in place for reporting/managing it.

I did not take the flu shot this year. I agree the flu shot most likely wouldn't have "saved" this child either.

[Fyrestorm]

I thought the flu shot was a complete miss this year anyway.

[sunkist33]

I just posted about this the other day. This happened in my town so it really hit hard. Although I don't know them well, I have met the family a couple of times. This is something I came across, written by Hunter's twin sister, Molly:
http://jmichaelpovey-retiredpoveinsa...of-hunter.html
There are also some short videos of him on youtube. He seemed like such a fun kid! This is so shocking & heartbreaking

I really don't think the flu shot could have prevented this & I hate how the media is using it as an opportunity for fear mongering & flu shot promotion

Maybe he already carrying MRSA & then the flu virus compounded it? I know MRSA is being found in schools now, scary! Their was a case in my daughter's class last year.
Or maybe it was something else entirely. I hope they are able to release some of the medical info.
~~~RIP Hunter~~~

[amrijane128]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

4 children here in Colorado were just reported to have died from the flu in the past month.
None had had the flu shot, which of course they are reporting would have prevented their deaths. 3 of the 4 had already had other health conditions, but they aren't reporting what those conditions were.

MRSA does run rampant in hospitals now.

Yeah I read this in the paper today. I remember reading that 2 of the kids had one flu shot, but not "part two", one was too young to be vaccinated, and one hadn't had the shot at all.

I also was left very in the dark when all it said was that they had other health conditions? Yet they won't mention anything about them? I hate the newspapers.

[bandgeek]

So if DD dies from the flu (most likely that, RSV, or pneumonia) even though she has serious health complications, is expected to die, and is DNR/DNI...they will report it as a death from the flu because she wasn't vaccinated? I would be LIVID. If she does die from the flu, how do I keep something like that being blamed on lack of vaccinations? I mean, she has chronic lung disease and is DNR. She wouldn't otherwise die from the flu and the flu shot wouldn't do any good anyway because if it's not the flu it's just going to be something else...

[Lysa]

Originally Posted by bandgeek

So if DD dies from the flu (most likely that, RSV, or pneumonia) even though she has serious health complications, is expected to die, and is DNR/DNI...they will report it as a death from the flu because she wasn't vaccinated? I would be LIVID. If she does die from the flu, how do I keep something like that being blamed on lack of vaccinations? I mean, she has chronic lung disease and is DNR. She wouldn't otherwise die from the flu and the flu shot wouldn't do any good anyway because if it's not the flu it's just going to be something else...

By speaking strongly to the media at a time when you are most vulnerable - or releasing a statement read by a friend or other family member.

[angie7]

Healthy people do not die from the flu. And actually no one dies from the flu, they die of the other medical conditions (pneumonia, etc.) that it can turn in to in unhealthy, immune compromised people.

bandgeek--I just went to your blog and read a few pages you are one strong mama and your little girl is so darn cute! I love the red hair!

[Deborah]

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...ld-flu-deaths/

Read the entire blog, it explains how the increase in MRSA has come about. Here is one quote from half way through the blog:

We are hoping that the CDC is aware of the connection between Prevnar and the rise in MRSA. Will they consider removing Prevnar from the schedule? Why hasn’t this issue turned up on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting agendas? So far, the only public attention the CDC has given to the increase in staph colonization is flag-waving for the flu vaccine.

[JBaxter]

Friends our ours had their 15yr old son pass away last month. His autopsy came back Influenza B and strep pneumonia. He was super healthy 15yr old boy who got sick and died within 7 days. ( they are in PA) Its sad but so rare it doenst make me rethink my stance on flu vaccines at all.

[bandgeek]

Originally Posted by Lysa

By speaking strongly to the media at a time when you are most vulnerable - or releasing a statement read by a friend or other family member.

Well it wouldn't ever be covered by the media. Just how do you keep from getting it printed on a death cert or in her records? Personally I'd prefer it said she died from CP, but don't ya know, no one dies from CP. Maybe I should just ask her pulm doc. If I let him know how strongly I felt about it, maybe we could come to an agreement about what it said.

[anewmama]

Bandgeek, you are a very strong mama. Hugs to your baby girl.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by JBaxter

Friends our ours had their 15yr old son pass away last month. His autopsy came back Influenza B and strep pneumonia. He was super healthy 15yr old boy who got sick and died within 7 days. ( they are in PA) Its sad but so rare it doenst make me rethink my stance on flu vaccines at all.

I guess even if he had been vaxed it wouldn't have made a difference as it is the B strain that they totally missed this year right? But Im sure they don't say that!

[k9sarchik]

Friends our ours had their 15yr old son pass away last month. His autopsy came back Influenza B and strep pneumonia. He was super healthy 15yr old boy who got sick and died within 7 days. ( they are in PA) Its sad but so rare it doenst make me rethink my stance on flu vaccines at all.

Did their son have asthma?

Did his parents delay taking him to the doctor or ER?

Did he stay in bed when he came down with the flu initially or did he still keep doing what he was doing while sick?

[Juvysen]

:cry: it's just so horrible

[JBaxter]

Originally Posted by k9sarchik

Did their son have asthma?

Did his parents delay taking him to the doctor or ER?

Did he stay in bed when he came down with the flu initially or did he still keep doing what he was doing while sick?

He was to his primary then the ER then back to the ER then life flighted to a big university. He was home from school just laying around.
No asthma that I know of.

His mom did everything that I would have done for my own teens

[LindsayK]

Just a follow-up

I've been following the news story regarding Hunter Pope's, death, and was surprised to find this article in the student run newspaper at BU:

http://www.dailyfreepress.com/flu_de..._say-1.1575336

Evidently, the media frenzy surrounding Hunter's death whipped up such a panic, that even the DPH is saying not to worry, the flu really isn't that bad (as opposed to the rest of the news media scaremongering about flu vaccines)

[k9sarchik]

I believe that a "healthy" child or teenager just doesn't die of the flu. There are reasons for complications to arise.

Looks like Vitamin D deficiency could be a culprit. Since many people are not outside in the sun regularly, or using tons of sunscreen or just not getting enough Vitamin D in their diet.

http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/N_...nfluenza.shtml

http://www.*********/a/vitamin_d.html