Showing posts with label infection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label infection. Show all posts

Friday, December 2, 2011

ECDC continues to advise no flu shots for children

The European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention continues to advise against the vaccination of children for the prevention of seasonal influenza.

The "Factsheet for the general public on seasonal influenza" notes that few "EU countries recommend immunising children or offering vaccines to pregnant women. An expert panel convened by ECDC considered there was as yet insufficient evidence on the burden of infection in children to take any view for or against immunisation."

http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/seasonal_influenza/basic_facts/Pages/factsheet_general_public.aspx

Monday, February 21, 2011

Pediatric flu deaths at low level, reports CDC

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is reporting that pediatric mortality linked to influenza is at the lowest level in years, with 30 deaths so far this season.

According to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, as "of February 5, 2011, a total of 30 influenza-related pediatric deaths from 18 states (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia) and New York City have been reported to CDC for the 2010--11 season.

Nine deaths were associated with influenza A (H3N2) virus infection, 12 deaths were associated with influenza B virus infection, three deaths were associated with influenza A (H1N1), and six were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was not determined. Twenty of these deaths occurred during January 16--February 5, 2011.

During the 2009 pandemic, 329 pediatric deaths were reported during April 15, 2009--January 23, 2010.

Before the pandemic, 65 influenza-related pediatric deaths were reported for the 2008--09 season (through the week ending April 11, 2009), 88 pediatric deaths were reported for the 2007--08 season, and 77 pediatric deaths were reported for the 2006--07 season."

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6006a4.htm?s_cid=mm6006a4_w