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9 year old dies of Flu

post #1 of 23
Thread Starter 
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/na...,3853963.story

It makes no mention of the child's vax status. I'm just curious because usually when a death happens in an unvaxed child, it is splashed all over the headlines and used to urge vaccination.
post #2 of 23
CNN has an article to go get your flu shot because of all the deaths so far. They are siting a death of a 15 year old boy from 4 years ago. They are also encouraging people to get a second vax if they had one back at the beginning of the fall since the flu season is so late this year.
post #3 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by k9sarchik View Post
They are also encouraging people to get a second vax if they had one back at the beginning of the fall since the flu season is so late this year.
Wow, so not only does the flu vax not work but it doesn't work for less than 6 months?
post #4 of 23
It doesn't work if they have left-over vaxes that they can't sell at the end of the season [for their bottom line].

Fire sale!
post #5 of 23
Quote:
Pediatric deaths parallel rise in US flu cases

Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer
Feb 20, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported a spike in the number of pediatric influenza deaths, an increase that mirrors a continuing rise in flu activity across the nation.

The CDC said it received six reports of influenza-related flu deaths in children during the week ending Feb 14, though one occurred during the 2006-07 flu season. The remaining five deaths raise the number of pediatric flu deaths this season to nine.

Bacterial coinfections were confirmed in six of the nine children; four involved Staphylococcus aureus, two of which were methicillin resistant. All of the children who had coinfections were age 5 or older.

In May 2007, the CDC issued an alert after noting a sharp increase in the number of S aureus infections in children who had the flu during the 2006-07 season, though the total number of pediatric flu deaths that year was similar to the previous two years. Twenty children that season died of bacterial coinfections, 16 of which were S aureus.

Meanwhile, other states reported more new pediatric flu deaths, which will likely be included in upcoming CDC weekly influenza updates.

Colorado's Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) yesterday announced that four Colorado children have died from influenza-related complications this flu season. The first occurred in mid January, and the last was reported on Feb 18, the CDPHE said in a press release.

The CDPHE said the state's number of pediatric flu deaths has already topped the past four flu seasons, which averaged two fatalities per year.

Three of the children were toddlers, and one was an infant. Two of the children had received partial vaccines (one of two recommended doses), and the other two were unvaccinated. At least two of the children had serious underlying medical conditions, the CDPHE said.

Ken Gershman, chief of the CDPHE's communicable disease program, said in the press release that child flu deaths are tragic, because the disease is often preventable. Last year the CDC expanded its flu vaccination recommendation to include all children from ages 5 though 18. It had already recommended flu immunizations for younger children between the ages of 6 and 59 months.

"The single best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu is to get the flu vaccine, and it's not too late," Gershman said.

Over the past few days other states have reported more pediatric flu deaths, including:

Massachusetts, where a 12-year-old boy died on Feb 16, according to the Boston Public Health Commission
Arizona, where a teenager from Coconino County died last week, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services
Texas, where a 12-year-old boy from Amarillo died on Feb 18, according to a report today from the Amarillo Globe-News
Nationally, the number of states reporting widespread flu activity rose to 24, 8 more than the previous surveillance week that ended Feb 7, the CDC reported. Most of the hardest-hit states are in the eastern part of the country, except for Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. Thirteen additional states reported regional influenza activity.

Nearly all (98.5%) influenza A/H1N1 samples that have been tested showed resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Of viruses that have been antigenically characterized, all influenza A/H1N1 and influenza A/H3N2 viruses matched the vaccine components.

However, only about a third of the influenza B viruses match the Yamagata lineage that is included in this year's vaccine—the rest were from the Victoria lineage.

See also:

CDC influenza surveillance report for Feb 8-14

Feb 19 CDPHE press release

Feb 19 Arizona Department of Health Services press release

Feb 17 Boston Public Health Commission press release
i found this article interesting b/c it actually gave a lot more info than the rest which just said kids were dying and had no background. interesting how it was a "coinfection" that actually was the culprit and that it was a "drug resistant" type of s aureus....funny how we seem to be creating these super bugs by over prescribing antibiotics . funny how everyone looks at vaccines as the cure instead of looking at the real reasons why these bugs are becoming more dangerous. interesting how half of the kids were partially or vaxed and some were not, and 2 of them had underlying medical conditions...why do most articles gloss over all these pertinent information.
post #6 of 23
Quote:
Nearly all (98.5%) influenza A/H1N1 samples that have been tested showed resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Of viruses that have been antigenically characterized, all influenza A/H1N1 and influenza A/H3N2 viruses matched the vaccine components.

However, only about a third of the influenza B viruses match the Yamagata lineage that is included in this year's vaccine—the rest were from the Victoria lineage.

Can someone explain what this means in more detail? Are there several strains in one vaccine?
post #7 of 23
there is a reason for the increase in staph:
http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...ition-library/

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

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...gate-vaccines/

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...e-vaccines-ii/

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...-vaccines-iii/

Sorry, it is a lot of reading. But people need to know that messing with the human eco-system can have (is having) disastrous results.
post #8 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by PaigeC View Post
Wow, so not only does the flu vax not work but it doesn't work for less than 6 months?
Well they know that the flu vaccines doesn't work well in the elderly and children so they say those age groups need 2 shots for them to get 'good' immunity.

That was in the Readers Digest last winter I believe.
post #9 of 23
Somehow, I'm really NOT all that scared that nine kids died of influenza in the entire USA this winter. Millions should get vaccinated to prevent nine deaths?

I'd like to know if any of those kids had other medical conditions. I'd like to know how those kids were treated once they started showing signs of illness. Of the infant and toddlers who died, were they breastfeeding?

Also, they mentioned that there's an average of 2 pediatric influenza deaths per year, but this year there are 9. Does this mean there are actually more children dying, or just more "flu like illnesses" getting diagnosed as influenza?
post #10 of 23
I'm a bit confused because up until a couple years ago, I didn't know anyone could die from the flu unless they suffered from really poor medical treatment and neglect while ill.

So now we're being told they died from the flu because they didn't vaccinate for it?

I still can't wrap my head around how the heck do you die from the flu.
post #11 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deborah View Post
there is a reason for the increase in staph:
http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...ition-library/

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

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...gate-vaccines/

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...e-vaccines-ii/

http://insidevaccines.com/wordpress/...-vaccines-iii/

Sorry, it is a lot of reading. But people need to know that messing with the human eco-system can have (is having) disastrous results.
One of the reasons kids are dying of the flu is because they've got staph AND the flu. And the possible reason they've got staph is because some of the vaccines being used are messing with the normal human bacterial ecosystem. Please, do read these articles...
post #12 of 23
I'd like to ask people to tread lightly with this. Several years ago a long time MDC mom lost her 19 yr old otherwise healthy son to the flu. I don't think she reads the boards any longer, but I'm sure there are others on here who remember her and her loss. He had been seen by a doctor and was resting at home. I don't remember his vax status.
post #13 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deborah View Post
One of the reasons kids are dying of the flu is because they've got staph AND the flu. And the possible reason they've got staph is because some of the vaccines being used are messing with the normal human bacterial ecosystem. Please, do read these articles...
Fabulous. Thank you for those links!!
Very informative, i saved them to my favorites.
post #14 of 23
I've actually seen quite a few cases of flu in the ED over the past few days (Tamps/St.Pete's area). Some odd presentations too..not just the classic symptoms. Unfortunately, the treatment for influenza A, Tamiflu, is practically worthless right now..


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/n...ory_81201.html
post #15 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deborah View Post
One of the reasons kids are dying of the flu is because they've got staph AND the flu.
Most people have staph somewhere on their bodies..it's one of the many different types of natural bacteria on our skin, in our noses, etc. Unfortunately, these usually non-pathogenic forms of bacteria can become pathogenic when someone's immune system is compromised by an infection like.......influenza.
post #16 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by mesdtudentmom View Post
Most people have staph somewhere on their bodies..it's one of the many different types of natural bacteria on our skin, in our noses, etc. Unfortunately, these usually non-pathogenic forms of bacteria can become pathogenic when someone's immune system is compromised by an infection like.......influenza.
So what do you think about how pneumococcal vaccination increases staph colonization and disease?
post #17 of 23
I am a parent who only selectively vaxes, and researches before injecting my child with anything.

That being said, my son has had the flu twice. Once it was flu A and once flu B. He very nearly died both times.

The vax is crap, to be sure, but I honestly think that most people don't realize that influenza can sometimes be extremely, etremely dangerous. My son went into heart and respiratory failure and spent 3 1/2 weeks in ICU.

While I understand that many people come through the flu just fine, and I don't advocated the vaccine, it does bother me when people act flippant about the disease.

It especially upsets me when people walk around in public with it and spread it to others because it's not "dangerous".
post #18 of 23
Quote:
It especially upsets me when people walk around in public with it and spread it to others because it's not "dangerous
Ditto this. My mom now has the flu because a woman who volunteers at the library where my mom works came in with the flu. STAY AT HOME! She's a volunteer, she's not even needed. But she comes in while she's infected, and now my mom is out sick, missing work, which she sooo can't afford to do.
post #19 of 23
People who are critical of vaccines, should be in favor of other public health measures. Staying home when sick. Hand-washing. That sort of stuff.

Yeah, I agree, being flip about illness is in poor taste.

But I do get tired of the CDC doing the scaremongering bit. I don't think they care about health, I think they just want to push vaccines.
post #20 of 23
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopesmommy View Post
It especially upsets me when people walk around in public with it and spread it to others because it's not "dangerous".
Me, too. That is so inconsiderate to not care about the health and well-being of your fellow humans.
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