CDC Says 93 Children Have Died With Evidence of Flu Since Oct. 2003...And 44% Had No Known Underlying Medical Conditions

The median age of the 93 children was 4 years (range: 4 weeks--17 years), with 55 (59%) children aged <5 years and 24 (26%) aged 6-23 months...A total of 35 (38%) of the 93 children were reported to have had underlying chronic medical conditions...and and 41 (44%) were reported to have had no underlying conditions; the medical history was unknown for 17 (18%) children...

Pneumonia was a reported complication in 25 of the 93 children. Invasive bacterial co-infections were reported in 15 children, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Enterococcus sp., Haemophilus influenzae (type b and non-typable), Neisseria meningitidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Serratia marcescens.

Of the 45 children whose influenza vaccination status was reported, one child had evidence of adequate vaccination, whereas 33 (73%) were not vaccinated, and six children were partially vaccinated (i.e., they had received 1 of 2 doses); five children were reported as vaccinated, but the interval between vaccination and onset of illness was not documented...

Because laboratory-confirmed influenza illnesses and deaths among children are not nationally reportable conditions, the numbers of deaths reported this season cannot be compared directly with previous influenza seasons, and the proportion of illnesses associated with death cannot be estimated. Heightened awareness of severe complications and deaths associated with influenza among children this season and increased testing might be contributing to identification of more pediatric fatalities related to influenza than in previous seasons...