Bay State child’s death from flu reminds us of illness’ punch
Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
This past weekend, a 12 year old Boston Latin Academy 7th grader, Hunter Pope, died of complications of the flu. By all reports, Hunter was a healthy kid before this. But, as his mom told NECN, he did not receive a flu shot this year - he lost the form sent home from school. That shot may not have prevented Hunter from getting the flu but may have helped considerably with his ability to battle the complications he faced as a result.
This is the first fatality from the flu in the Bay State. 4 children died from the flu in Massachusetts last year and 4 have died nationwide this year.
The flu usually does not claim a lot of lives each year but it does claim a few. It turns out all children, previously healthy and those with chronic issues, are at risk from flu complications. This is part of the reasoning behind this year’s changes by the CDC to recommend that all children 6months to 18 years receive an annual flu shot. Since the flu season typically extends into the spring, it is not too late to get your kids the flu shot this year if they are still unimmunized.
In addition to immunizing kids, and adults, against the flu, the two other ways to keep our society healthy from the flu are to keep family members who have the flu home until they are over their illness and to be in close contact with your physician’s office to try and catch complications early. The Boston Public Health Commission reminded the Boston Globe of the following list of symptoms to be on the lookout for in anyone, adults and kids alike, with the flu that may indicate a complication is brewing:
- breathing problems
- difficulty keeping fluids down
- a fever that will not come down after taking drugs such as acetaminophen
- appearing to get better only to see a fever go up again, which might indicate a secondary infection such as pneumonia
- a change in mental status (acting funny or not like themselves)
- underlying conditions such as heart problems, or lung conditions illnesses, including asthma.
My deepest sympathy goes out to Hunter Pope’s family, friends, and school community. His death is a somber reminder of why we need to take the flu seriously and get our kids immunized against the flu each and every year.
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