More children die from seasonal flu than ever

The seasonal flu is undoubtedly back, and it kills more children than ever. New data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the infantile influenza deaths have reached a record level last winter.

CDC experts presented the data that gives reflection in an article published at the end of last month. At least 280 children died of flu during the 2024 to 2025 season – the highest assessment recorded since the start of modern follow -up started two decades ago. It is the second consecutive winter that pediatric deaths have reached a record peak, which may not have a good omen for this next season of the flu.

A Worse Modern For Flu

The seasonal flu, like many infectious diseases, took a break during the first years of the COVVI-19 pandemic. The same measures taken to reduce the propagation of the pandemic, such as social distancing, have also considerably reduced the transmission of flu and other germs of garden variety. But as the world has returned to normal, diseases like flu too.

The cases of flu, hospitalizations and deaths began to go back to their usual trends during the 2022 to 2023 season. But the flu last winter was one of the worst ever recorded in modern history. It was the first high influenza season for the documented age groups since the 2017-2018 season; The rate of cumulative hospitalization has been the highest recorded since the 2010-2011 season; and between 27,000 and 130,000 deaths associated with flu, took place, based on preliminary CDC estimates.

Since 2004, doctors and hospitals have been obliged to report any death by child linked to the FLI to their local health services; This then allows the CDC to directly follow the deaths of the influenza in children for a given season. The 280 pediatric deaths observed last winter are the highest assessment recorded in the modern era, and only slightly below the 288 deaths seen during the H1N1 Pandemic frip of 2009-2010.

Almost all of these deaths have occurred in non -vaccinated children (89%), while around half occurred in children without pre -existing health problems.

A sign of things to come?

The strength of this next season of the flu will depend on many factors, including the inherent gravity of the influenza strains circulating in the world. But there are already reasons why we should worry about the difficulty of the flu of next winter will strike children (and adults, by the way).

To begin with, coverage of flu vaccination was lower for children last winter than the previous flu season. And in fact, the flu vaccination rate in general has slipped from the pandemic.

The anti-vaccination movement has also reached new heights of power, thanks to the installation of characters like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Trump administration. In less than a year, RFK JR. and its allies have managed to remove or weaken several infant vaccines on the basis of poor quality evidence, and they continued to promote the widely demystified link between vaccines and autism.

Most Americans still support vaccines, in general. And Kennedy continued to calmly approve the vaccine against seasonal flu for children and adults (at least for the moment). But its political changes and its public podium could certainly increase the hesitation of vaccines for the flu vaccine and others.

Seasonal influenza vaccines are not 100% effective to prevent infection. But they have and will remain very effective in preventing the worst results of the flu, including serious illnesses and death. So, if children and their families are not vaccinated against flu, it is not long in reaching another new record in children’s influenza deaths.