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Michigan is experiencing a “moderately severe” influenza outbreak, one Corewell Health physician reported Monday, three days after the state confirmed its first pediatric influenza-associated death for the 2023-24 flu season.
There have been 103 pediatric deaths related to influenza reported in the United States this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Michigan mimics elevated flu activity at the national level, with positive tests and hospitalizations related to the flu trending upward in the last week.
“We’ve had seasons that are higher rates of admissions; however, we are slightly higher than last year, and influenza certainly is contributing to the admission burden here at Corewell Health both on the east and the west,” said Dr. Kira Sieplinga, division chief of general pediatrics at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Corewell Health estimated that 14 children were admitted to the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital with influenza in the first 11 days of March, up from none last year. There were at least four influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported to the state health department in the 2022-23 flu season and 182 nationwide, according to the CDC.
The state health department did not comment on the age, county of residence or vaccination status of the child who died in Michigan, but nearly 90% of the 103 flu-related pediatric deaths across the country this year were unvaccinated, according to the CDC.
Children by nature are at high risk for complications from influenza, particularly those under the age of 5 and especially those less than 6 months old, Sieplinga said.
Specific co-morbidities including asthma, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, metabolic diseases, and immunodeficiencies can also make children more susceptible to dangerous flu complications, Sieplinga said. Patients with respiratory concerns could develop pneumonia which may require hospitalization to treat.
“I really do want to emphasize that although those children are at higher risk of complications of influenza, there are 100% healthy children who experience severe complications of influenza,” she added.
Symptoms include a high fever, muscle aches, headaches, stomach aches and cramps, Sieplinga said. More severe symptoms like vomiting and fevers can cause dehydration, which is often the primary reason for hospitalization, Sieplinga said. Severe muscle pains caused by inflammation of the muscles can sometimes lead to kidney damage, and occasionally patients will experience neurological symptoms like seizures or inflammation of the brain, she added.
The best time to get checked by a medical provider is within the first 48 hours of symptoms, Sieplinga said.
“If your child is experiencing any of those symptoms, and you suspect it may be influenza, I would recommend that you have them checked out,” Sieplinga said. “Always listen to your gut. So if your child has a fever and symptoms of a virus and something just doesn’t feel right, if the child is not acting like their usual self, if they are dehydrated… all of those are warning signs.”
Just over 19% of children between the ages of 6 months and 17 years are fully vaccinated for the flu this season, down from almost 21% at this time last year, the state health department said. Vaccination rates have been trending down since the COVID-19 pandemic and Sieplinga encouraged people who may be hesitant to vaccinate their children against the flu to reach out to trusted sources of information.
“Please consider vaccination for your children, it’s not too late,” Sieplinga said. “The influenza vaccine has been proven to decrease the rates of influenza in communities and also decrease the severity.”
Other respiratory viruses like respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 are trending downward in pediatric patients, Sieplinga said.
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