I want to thank William Albanese for his commentary in the Jan. 6 edition about the increase of respiratory viruses this flu season. Last flu season saw the highest number of flu-related deaths since 2009, the H1N1 pandemic. The CDC reports 18,399 deaths attributed to flu, 280 of the dead were children. The World Health Organization reported that 138 people died of COVID-19 in the first seven days of December 2025. The CDC has stopped reporting the ages and other statistics on COVID-19. The CDC reported there were 23,000 total deaths from RSV last year, with 100 to 300 children under 5 years of age. The CDC uses modeling for estimates, as not all cases are reported.
There has also been a severe increase in a previously rare complication of the flu in children, called Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy. ANE causes the body to have an intense immune response to the flu. This causes brain inflammation and damage, leading to rapid neurological decline, seizures, coma and potentially long-term disability and death. The American Academy of Pediatrics reported the highest number of deaths from ANE last year. The number of children with irreversible brain damage was not reported.
Children can be the reason an adult gets sick. They bring these illnesses home to their parents, grandparents and caregivers after catching the virus from other children in school and daycare. There are vaccines available for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV for children. Vaccinating children against influenza, COVID-19 and RSV can help protect them from these illnesses. While vaccines are not perfect, 89% of the children who died from the flu were not fully vaccinated (CDC data). As Mr. Albanese recommended, the best way to protect yourself from influenza is to get vaccinated. In addition to the flu vaccine, adults can also get COVID-19 and RSV vaccines at the Department of Health or your local pharmacy.
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