IT’S THAT TIME of year again when flu rears its ugly head. And, according to the latest state flu report, Massachusetts has a high level of activity. As a pediatric nurse practitioner who practices at Franciscan Children’s hospital in Brighton, and at an outpatient clinic in Boston, I’ve never seen so many healthy children get so sick as I did last year. And they were seriously ill.
These were children whose influenza, or “flu,” led to sepsis, rapid deterioration, and other critical conditions, that landed them in the ICU.
We’ve been so focused on the Covid-19 virus for the last several years that many people skipped their flu vaccines.
But we cannot let our guard down. Doing so not only threatens an individual’s health, but also, the health of those around us. Take it from me, I’ve seen some difficult cases.
Just last winter a healthy three-month old came to my clinic with a viral cold, cough, and fever. He had no underlying medical conditions but was considered high risk because kids can’t get immunized for influenza until they’re six months old, heightening their risk for flu-related complications that often result in hospitalization. Sure enough, this baby tested positive for flu. He was in respiratory distress and was dehydrated.
When infants have a hard time breathing, it greatly impacts their ability to feed. He required immediate hospitalization and spent five days on oxygen support, required an IV for hydration, and a feeding tube to ensure he was getting the nutrients he needed. Even after starting to eat on his own, and after eight days in the hospital, it took another week to recover to his baseline.
This is a story of what can happen to healthy infants when a flu exposure takes place. His parents told me later they wish that there was a vaccine for infants that young.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six months and older, and those who are high risk, get the flu shot annually for good reason. Influenza causes tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations every year in the US. In Massachusetts, we had a higher rate of flu last year than in the previous several years.
Young children and babies aren’t the only ones considered high risk. As people age, their immune systems may not be a strong as they once were. That’s why those 65 and older are also in that category—they are more susceptible to pneumonias and other respiratory infections.
Data from the CDC has shown that newer enhanced flu vaccines are preferred over standard dose vaccines for this population, so make sure you talk with your health care provider to see which vaccine is best for you.
This year, with several respiratory diseases circulating — influenza, Covid, and RSV — there is a heightened risk for everyone, especially those who are immune-compromised and kids like the ones I see at Franciscan Children’s who have debilitating illnesses that often come with underlying respiratory issues. They simply cannot afford to get flu, Covid-19, or RSV.
For the first time, we have vaccines that can prevent RSV. There’s one for those over 60 and for pregnant women, and another for newborns. I could not be more excited about these. I saw so many children last year get very sick with RSV. Immunizing pregnant women and newborns is the best way to prevent that.
Getting vaccinated against the flu is easy. It’s accessible at your primary care provider’s office, pharmacies, and even grocery stores. You can get your flu shot at the same time you get your latest Covid vaccine. And the time is now. Cases of flu in the state are on the rise, and there have already been 77 deaths from it.
Reducing our chances of contracting flu by getting immunized not only protects ourselves but also those in our communities. That’s an obligation we can’t ignore.
Amy Delaney is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Franciscan Children’s Hospital and at Roslindale Pediatrics. She is an assistant professor of nursing at Providence College’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences and serves on the board of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
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