LANSING (WKZO) — A strong virus and a weak flu vaccine has resulted in a bad year for the flu, one that is far from over.
Michigan has just recorded its first infant death. The most recent CDC report lists 56 pediatric deaths nationwide.
Those are the only flu deaths that are recorded, probably because it’s more clearly responsible in a child’s death.
With older adults, who die in much larger numbers from the flu, it’s usually just one of a number of factors that contribute to the person’s demise.
WMU Virologist Dr. Karim Assani says other factors have also contributed to make it one of the worst outbreaks in years. He says it started early and got a boost from all the transport and mixing of the population over the holidays.
Dr. Assani says another reason its high is because so many parents have opted out of having their child vaccinated, for whatever unfounded reasons they fear immunizations will trigger other side effects or problems, and that is just not the case.
He feels that parents who get vaccination waivers are doing a disservice to their children and the community.
He says a mutated strain of the H3N2 flu was mismatched in this year’s flu vaccine. And that’s bad because H3N2 flu is typically worse than other flu strains, says Dr. Essani, says its resulted in a perfect culture for the bug to spread and thrive.
Essani says the flu vaccine still provides some protection from the new flu strain, and says it’s never too late to get one, despite the fact that the vaccine is only about 23% effective.
At least it affords some protection, and could blunt the impact if you do catch the bug.
Essani says staying home when sick and frequent hand washing remain the best ways to stop the spread of flu.
Hospitals in Michigan have closed their doors to some visitors to prevent the spread of the disease and triggered emergency protocols to isolate flu patients from the rest of their populations.
We will never know how many have really died because health officials don’t keep those complete records.
Be assured though that it will be in the tens of thousands nationwide.
