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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a concerning increase in severe flu cases among children during the 2024-25 flu season. The data reveals that 109 children were diagnosed with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) and other flu-related encephalopathies, a rare complication of the influenza virus. This uptick coincides with the nation recording 280 pediatric flu deaths last year, marking it as the deadliest flu season since the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic.
According to NBC News, ANE is a severe brain inflammation caused by the flu, and it has become more prevalent in recent years. Dr. Molly Wilson-Murphy, a pediatric neurologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, noted an increase in children severely affected by brain inflammation following the flu. "We don’t know in real numbers if this is an increase, but I will tell you, being on the ground, being a physician who cares for these patients, I was certainly struck that this was an increase," she said.
The CDC's report highlights that 84% of children with influenza-associated encephalopathy were not vaccinated against the flu. Dr. Buddy Creech from Vanderbilt University Medical Center emphasized the importance of vaccination, stating, "We recommend the vaccine for everyone." Despite the flu vaccine's variable effectiveness, it significantly reduces the risk of severe complications and death.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases underscores the critical role of annual flu vaccinations in preventing serious illness. The CDC recommends that everyone aged six months and older receive the flu vaccine each year. However, vaccination rates among children have been declining, contributing to the increased severity of flu cases.
The CDC continues to advocate for flu vaccinations as the most effective way to protect children from severe flu-related complications.