Latest child flu victim is identified

[bluemoon24]

Chace, who died Monday at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, had been vaccinated against the flu, said Terri Allen, public health supervisor for Carlton County. But she said that he was a "medically fragile child," and said the vaccine is less effective in people with underlying health problems.



Chace is one of five people in Minnesota known to have died this season after contracting the flu. The other four victims, including Barry DeLude, 44, a Minneapolis firefighter, had not been vaccinated, said Kris Ehresmann, head of immunizations for the Minnesota Department of Health.



While the vaccine is the best protection available, it isn't always enough to prevent serious complications in people with other health problems, Ehresmann said.



The five deaths have prompted a surge in last-minute vaccinations around the state.



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said fewer than 20 children have died during the current flu season, including the four from Minnesota, Ehresmann said.



On average, about 40 children are among the estimated 36,000 deaths that occur each year from flu. Most of those are elderly people or adults with other health problems.



In Minnesota some 700 to 800 people die each year from flu, pneumonia or a combination of both, but Ehresmann said the last time a child died in the state was during the 2004-2005 flu season.



Kaynak: SağlıkHaber