An influenza subvariant has contributed to a stark rise of cases and hospitalizations in Connecticut. Doctors say flu-related hospitalizations have peaked at Connecticut Children’s, but they’re bracing for the next surge of the illness in kids.
“Now that they're back in school, they may be sharing their viruses again,” said Dr. John Brancato, medical director and division head of emergency medicine at Connecticut Children's.
He said vaccines are still an important defense against the flu.
“We have not seen yet a big rise in influenza B that commonly comes a little bit later in the season,” he said. “And the shot will absolutely lessen the degree of illness.”
Many of Connecticut Children’s flu-related hospitalizations were kids with complications including bacterial pneumonia and muscle inflammation.
“There are so many kids who didn't have the vaccine, and they're the ones who are getting the sickest,” Brancato said.
Brancato said there are things parents can do to keep kids healthy.
- Pay attention to kids’ basic health: Eating well, sleeping well and staying hydrated.
- Vaccinate children against the flu.
- Avoid bringing sick kids to school – they get sicker and need to be picked up midday, and they spread sickness to other kids.
As of Jan. 9, Connecticut recorded 21,334 cases of the flu, resulting in 1,759 hospitalizations and 41 deaths, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH).
“We are in a very bad flu season,” Dr. Manisha Juthani, DPH commissioner, said on the agency’s Instagram account Jan. 7.
Influenza is one of the eight vaccines that was recently removed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “universal” recommendation for all children.
The revised CDC recommendations say the vaccines are still available, but advocate “shared clinical making” based on a child’s risk profile – a move that pediatricians and doctors said is confusing and lacks evidence to justify a change.
“At a time when parents, pediatricians and the public are looking for clear guidance and accurate information, this ill-considered decision will sow further chaos and confusion and erode confidence in immunizations,” Dr. Andrew D. Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said of the new CDC schedule. “This is no way to make our country healthier.”
Despite the changing federal guidance, Juthani reiterated that insurance companies in Connecticut will continue to cover vaccines. She said immunization offers the best protection against serious complications from the flu.
