First child flu death of season reported in Louisiana days before Christmas

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Just days before Christmas, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the state’s first pediatric flu death of the season on Fri., Dec. 22.

The LDH would not confirm the child’s age, identity, or in which region of the state the child was from. It is unclear on which date the child died.

The death comes as the nation is witnessing a surge in flu, COVID, and RSV cases, with concerns mounting over a potential escalation over the holiday season.

High levels of flu-like illnesses were reported last week in 17 states — up from 14 the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Louisiana is one of two states with very high levels of respiratory illnesses. South Carolina is currently seeing the heaviest traffic for respiratory infections in emergency rooms, according to CDC data posted this week.

“Folks are traveling a lot more this season. They want to see their families,” said the CDC’s Dr. Manisha Patel. “And all of that sort of adds to the mix” in the spread of viruses.

Health officials are keeping an eye on a version of the evolving coronavirus, known as JN.1. The omicron variant was first detected in the U.S. in September and now accounts for an estimated 20% of cases. The CDC expects it to reach 50% in the next two weeks, Patel said.

It may spread easier or be better at evading our immune systems, but there is no evidence that the strain causes more severe disease than other recent variants, health officials say. And current evidence indicates vaccines and antiviral medications work against it.

As for flu, early signs suggest current vaccines are well-matched to the strain that is causing the most illnesses, and that strain usually doesn’t cause as many deaths and hospitalizations as some other versions.

But the bad news is vaccinations are down this year, officials say. About 42% of U.S. adults had gotten flu shots by the first week of December, down from about 45% at the same time last year, according to the CDC.

Americans have also been slow to get other vaccinations. Only about 18% have gotten an updated COVID-19 shot that became available in September. At nursing homes, about a third of residents are up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

And only 17% of adults 60 and older had received new shots against another respiratory virus. RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of mild cold-like symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and older people.

The CDC last week took the unusual step of sending a health alert to U.S. doctors urging them to immunize their patients against the trio of viruses.

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