CDC Report Shows More Children Are Either Dying or Becoming Severely Ill With Flu Amid Declining Vaccination Rates

09/26/25

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report showing that more and more children are either dying or becoming severely ill with the flu amid declining vaccination rates in the United States. ... This comes as the country recorded 280 pediatric flu deaths last year, which is the deadliest since the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic.

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The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases also underscored the crucial role that annual flu vaccinations play in preventing serious illness, particularly among children. The CDC recommends the shots for everyone aged six months and older yearly, KSTE reported.

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A Decline in Vaccination Rates

Despite the decline in vaccination rates, the CDC continues to advocate for flu shots, saying these are the most effective way to protect kids from severe flu-related complications, as well as death.

 

(more)

 

International Business Times

https://www.ibtimes.com/cdc-report-shows-more-children-are-either-dying-becoming-severely-ill-flu-amid-declining-3784578

 

 

Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths — United States, 2024–25 Influenza Season

Centers for Disease Control

September 25, 2025

Summary

What is added by this report?

The 2024–25 influenza season had the highest number of pediatric deaths reported (280) since child deaths became nationally notifiable in 2004, except for the 2009–10 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 pandemic. Approximately one half of children who died from influenza had an underlying medical condition, and 89% were not fully vaccinated. [emphasis added]

 

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Previously, the highest number of deaths reported during a nonpandemic influenza season was 210 during the 2023–24 influenza season. The lowest number of influenza-associated pediatric deaths occurred during the 2020–21 season, immediately after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when influenza virus circulation plummeted; during that season, only a single influenza death in a child was reported. Increasing numbers of deaths have been reported in each subsequent season since 2020–21.

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Whereas approximately 80% of pediatric decedents who were vaccine-eligible had not received seasonal influenza vaccine in previous seasons (6,7), during the 2024–25 season, approximately 90% of eligible children with known vaccination status who died from influenza were not fully vaccinated."

 

2024-2025 Flu Season Pediatric Flu Deaths:  (number / percentage)

 

 

(more)

 

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7436a2.htm

 

 

Background:

 

 

More kids are severely ill or dying from the flu, CDC reports

As fewer children get their flu shots, cases of a rare, severe complication are rising. Last season, the U.S. experienced the highest number of pediatric flu deaths in 15 years.

 

 

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"Wear’s son, 4-year-old Beckett, is still recovering from the flu he got way back in January. Within a week of becoming infected, he became extremely lethargic. He couldn’t move his head or his arms. He couldn’t eat or talk. Wear, 40, of River Forest, Illinois, knew what the problem was. It was the second time Beckett had developed an inflammatory brain disease caused by the flu: acute necrotizing encephalopathy, or ANE.

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Cases of pediatric ANE and other flu-related encephalopathies are on the rise. During the 2024-25 flu season, 109 children were diagnosed with the rare complication, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   According to the new report, 84% of kids with influenza-associated encephalopathy [IAE] whose vaccination status was known weren’t vaccinated. [emphasis added]

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“We don’t always know how to predict which kids are going to have the most severe forms of flu, which is why we recommend the vaccine for everyone,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “It's a misnomer to think that only sickly kids get complications from the flu.”

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Dangerous complications from the flu

The 109 children tallied in the research were all diagnosed with influenza-associated encephalopathy, or IAE. It occurs when the influenza virus attacks the child’s nervous system. Kids can have a spectrum of symptoms: confusion, difficulty walking, hallucinations, abnormal movements and seizures."

 

(more)

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-vaccines-children-complication-cdc-deaths-rcna233436

 

 

Pediatric Influenza-Associated Encephalopathy and Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy — United States, 2024–25 Influenza Season

"During the high-severity 2024–25 influenza season, 109 U.S. pediatric IAE cases were identified; 55% of affected children were previously healthy. Thirty-seven IAE cases were subcategorized as acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a severe form of IAE characterized by rapid neurologic decline and a poor prognosis. Overall, 74% of IAE patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and 19% died; 41% of ANE patients died. Only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients had received the 2024–25 influenza vaccine.

 

What are the implications for public health practice?

All children are at risk for severe neurologic complications of influenza. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all children aged ≥6 months to prevent influenza and associated complications, potentially including IAE."

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Since 2010, CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have recommended annual influenza vaccination for all persons aged ≥6 months (7). Influenza vaccination can prevent influenza illness and reduce the severity of influenza in children who do become ill, including reduction in occurrence of critical and life-threatening influenza (CDC | Benefits of the Flu Vaccine) (8). Influenza vaccination has also been found to reduce influenza-associated hospitalization and emergency department visits in children (9). Despite these known benefits, pediatric influenza vaccination coverage has declined in recent years*** and only 16% of vaccine-eligible IAE patients reported to CDC had received the 2024–25 influenza vaccine.

 

(more)

 

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/wr/mm7436a1.htm

 

U.S. Pediatric Influenza Vaccine Coverage by Year

Children 6 months to 17 years of age

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/children-vaccination-coverage.html

 

 

Reduce flu illness

Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.

• Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor's visits each year. For example, during 2019-2020, the last flu season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,
• During seasons when flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40 - 60%.

Reduce severity of illness

Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.

• A 2021 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients had a 26% lower risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated.

 

 

https://www.cdc.gov/flu-vaccines-work/benefits/index.html

 

 

 

All of the above are the best reasons I can imagine for people in general, and especially people in high risk groups like senior citizens and young children, to get their seasonal flu vaccines.