Minnesota State Health Officials Report Flu Death In 12-Year-Old Girl

Public flu vaccination clinics planned in response to death, new CDC vaccination guidelines

Feb. 29, 2008 -- The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today confirmed that a 12-year-old Twin Cities metropolitan area girl died recently from complications of influenza. The girl had not been vaccinated, and had an underlying medical condition that may have put her at increased risk of influenza complications.

Local public health agencies statewide have been alerted about the possible need for stepped-up influenza vaccination efforts, and a number of special vaccination clinics are being scheduled for the Twin Cities area. The vaccination effort is being launched partly in response to the girl’s death, and partly in response to recently announced changes in national CDC recommendations regarding influenza vaccinations for children.

The girl’s death was the first reported pediatric influenza death for the 2007-2008 influenza season. While influenza deaths in children are fortunately uncommon in Minnesota, they do occur. Typically, the number of pediatric influenza deaths in Minnesota ranges from one or two to as many as five or six, with no deaths at all occurring in some years.

“Our sympathies are with the family at this difficult time,” said Kristen Ehresmann, section manager for Immunizations, Tuberculosis and International Health at MDH. “This death should serve to remind us of the importance of getting vaccinated against influenza.”

Earlier this week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend influenza vaccination for all children 6 months to 18 years, beginning in the 2008-2009 influenza season.

“This latest influenza death in Minnesota reinforces the importance of these new recommendations,” Ehresmann noted.

The new recommendation expands on the previous recommendation that influenza vaccination be given to all children 6-59 months of age, and to children who have underlying medical conditions that may place them at higher risk for influenza complications. The goal is to improve vaccine coverage for all children, including those at high risk.

Recognizing that news of the girl’s death is likely to increase the demand for vaccination statewide, MDH has asked local public health agencies to work with health care providers on addressing that need. Local health officials and care providers have been asked to assess vaccine supplies in their areas and, if possible, consider holding public clinics or find other ways to make influenza vaccine available to those who want it.

In the metropolitan area, a number of public influenza vaccine clinics are in the process of being set up, and MDH is working with local health officials and the Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA) to set up more clinics if necessary. The MVNA will hold a clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 1 and March 8 at their office at 3433 Broadway St. NE. Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55413, for anyone ages 6 months and older. MVNA will also hold clinics at various Cub Foods stores on Friday, March 7, 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition, the Hennepin County Health Department plans to provide influenza vaccination at some of its regularly scheduled public health clinics. The dates, times and locations of public flu shot clinics will be available at the MDH Find a Flu Shot Clinic web site.

Ehresmann also stressed that, while vaccination is the best defense against influenza, there are other ways to help protect yourself and others, such as frequent handwashing and covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. “This most recent death does not necessarily indicate that children are at higher risk for fatal influenza complications this season,” she said.

Influenza outbreaks in schools are on the increase right now in the state, with 42 outbreaks reported during the week of February 17-23, Ehresmann noted. However, 95 school outbreaks were reported during one week at the peak of the 2006-2007 influenza season.

While it has been widely reported nationally that some of the influenza strains circulating this year are not well-matched to the vaccine, health officials said they do not have enough information yet to fully characterize the situation in Minnesota, although it appears this may be true here as well.

“Influenza vaccine still provides the best protection against influenza, even when some of the circulating strains are not exactly matched to the vaccine,” Ehresmann said. “Although influenza viruses change over time, the viruses are still close enough to the vaccine strains for the vaccine to provide a good degree of protection. And even if they do get influenza, people who’ve had the vaccine are likely to have a much less severe illness.”

Influenza activity is still peaking in Minnesota, so it’s not too late to get immunized for influenza, according to MDH officials. They strongly recommend that people who are most at risk for complications from influenza get an annual dose of flu vaccine. Those most at risk include:

* People 50 years of age and older
* People with chronic illnesses
* Children 6 months to 5 years of age
* Residents of nursing homes or other chronic care facilities

Children under 6 months of age cannot receive flu vaccine, so people who share living quarters with young children are also a top priority for vaccination.

This time of year, it is also important to avoid getting or spreading influenza by following these guidelines:

* Do your best to stay healthy. Get plenty of rest, physical activity and healthy eating.
* Stay home from school or work if you have a respiratory infection. Avoid exposing yourself to others who are sick with flu-like illness.
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.
* Clean surfaces you touch frequently, such as doorknobs, water faucets, refrigerator handles and telephones.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, or with an alcohol based, waterless hand sanitizer.

The symptoms of influenza, which tend to come on suddenly, can include a sore throat, coughing, fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. People who become severely ill with influenza-like symptoms should see a physician. Influenza is caused by a virus and antibiotics are not effective against it.

Source: Minnesota Department of Health

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