Influenza-Associated Deaths Reported Among Children Aged <18 Years --- United States, 2003--04 Influenza Season

[Sheri Nakken]

Here's the full report showing some of the reality

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtm ... 1219a1.htm
From Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report

Update: Influenza-Associated Deaths Reported Among Children Aged <18 Years
--- United States, 2003--04 Influenza Season

Since October, 42 influenza-associated deaths among children aged <18 years
have been reported to CDC. All patients had influenza virus infection
detected by rapid antigen testing or other laboratory testing methods. This
report describes preliminary findings based on data provided from multiple
states, as of December 17, 2003. To improve surveillance, CDC has requested
that all influenza-associated deaths of children aged <18 years be reported
to CDC through state health departments.

Among the 42 reported deaths, 20 (48%) patients were male, and 21 (50%)
were female; the sex of one patient was not reported. Twenty-three (55%) of
the children were aged <5 years, and 13 (31%) were aged 6--23 months (Table
1). The median age was 4 years (range: 9 weeks--17 years). Seventeen (40%)
of the children had underlying chronic medical conditions (Table 2); SEE
END OF ARTICLE FOR INSERTION OF THIS INFORMATION OR GO TO WEBSITE TO READ
TABLE
the previous medical status for four (10%) children was unknown. Among the
21 patients who had no underlying chronic medical condition, five had
invasive bacterial co-infections, including three caused by
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), one by Streptococcus
pneumoniae, and one by Group A streptococcus. Three children with
underlying chronic medical conditions had invasive bacterial co-infections,
including one caused by MRSA, one caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, and
one caused by Neisseria menigitidis.

Influenza vaccination status was available for only seven patients; five
(aged 1 year, 14 months, 20 months, 3 years, and 8 years) were not
vaccinated; two (aged 21 months and 5 years) received 1 dose of influenza
vaccine; however, their previous vaccination history was unknown. Influenza
A viruses were isolated from 11 (26%) patients; 29 (69%) infections were
detected by rapid diagnostic testing or by direct fluorescent antibody
testing of respiratory specimens. In two (5%) patients, evidence of
influenza A virus infection was solely by immunohistochemical staining
(IHC) of postmortem tissue specimens at CDC (Figure). Five cases that were
positive by rapid antigen testing of respiratory specimens also were tested
by IHC; all five also had influenza A viral antigens detected in bronchial
epithelium tissues obtained at autopsy. CDC continues to work with state
health departments to collect additional information on all cases.
[COMMENTS BY DR. YAZBAK - The lack of information on the vaccination
status of 83% of the deceased children is disturbing and indicates a
further lowering of the bar. Positive viral cultures are more definitive
proofs of viral presence. The fact that viral cultures were positive in
only 26% of cases is important. On the other hand, a positive viral culture
is not absolute proof that influenza is the cause of death; without more
details, its significance is hard to determine.
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferenc ... n12_2.html ]

Reported by: State and local health departments. Influenza Response Team, J
Wright, DVM, A Likos, MD, N Bhat, MD, EIS officers, CDC.

Editorial Note:

Influenza-associated deaths are not reportable conditions in the United
States, and the average annual number of such deaths is unknown. However,
cases of sudden death associated with influenza in previously healthy
children in the United States have been reported (1; CDC, unpublished data,
2003). During 1990--1999, approximately 92 influenza-associated respiratory
and circulatory deaths were estimated to have occurred annually among
children aged <5 years (2). However, this estimate was based on
mathematical modeling and not on counting fatalities associated with
laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection.

Among the 42 reported cases, laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection
was found in all of the children. Influenza can be confirmed by various
methods, including commercially available rapid tests, viral culture,
direct fluorescent antibody, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain
reaction, IHC of tissues collected during autopsy (3), and paired serology.

CDC Request for Reports of Influenza-Associated Deaths Among Children
During the 2003--04 influenza season, CDC is requesting that all
influenza-associated deaths among children aged <18 years be reported to
CDC through state health departments. In addition, CDC is requesting
submission of postmortem tissue specimens and autopsy reports where
available. Influenza viral isolates in fatal cases also should be sent to
CDC for antigenic characterization.

To report the influenza-associated death of a child aged <18 years, state
health departments should contact CDC's Influenza Branch, telephone,
800-232-4636; e-mail, eocinfluenza@ cdc.gov. Case-reporting and
specimen-collection forms will be made available to state health
departments and medical examiners via the Epidemic Information Exchange,
available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/epix/epix.html. When completed, the
forms should be sent with a cover sheet headed ATTN: Fatal Case Reporting
to CDC via fax, 888-232-1322.

References

CDC. Severe morbidity and mortality associated with influenza in children
and young adults---Michigan, 2003. MMWR 2003;52:837--40.
Thompson W, Shay D, Weintraub E, et al. Mortality associated with influenza
and respiratory syncytial virus in the United States. JAMA 2003;289:179--86.
Guarner J, Shieh WJ, Dawson J, et al. Immunohistochemical and in situ
hybridization studies of influenza A virus infection in human lungs. Am J
Clin Path 2000;114:227--33.
**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed
to mmwrq@cdc.gov.

Page converted: 12/19/2003

fROM DR. YAZBAK FROM HERE
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferenc ... n12_2.html
"One must wonder why in a review of national importance, an effort was not
made to identify the sex of one child and the past history of four others.
The underlying chronic conditions (some children had more than one) were:
Lupus 1, cerebral palsy 2, chromosomal abnormality 1, hypothyroidism 1,
gastroesophageal reflux 1 and biliary atresia 1. Two children were
developmentally delayed and 2 had mental retardation. Three children had
asthma, one had received a heart transplant, 3 had seizure disorders, one
had Pierre Robin Syndrome and the last one had the syndrome of Cornelia de
Lange. The available information is not enough to determine the role of the
influenza infection in the demise of these children. Eight (19%) of the 42
children had fulminating systemic infections. At least in these, influenza
was not the primary cause of death. [The immediate cause of death
is listed first on a death certificate. To its right, the physician must
enter the interval between onset and death. In the following three lines,
underlying and associated causes are listed in order of significance with
the intervals between onset and death.]

What may be tragic is the fact that, because of the continuous bombardment
with reports of the ?epidemic?, some parents, believing that their children
just had the flu, may have waited too long to seek medical advice for
meningitis, septicemia or pneumonia. Similarly, a busy ER physician seeing
a multitude of children brought by parents concerned about the ?major flu
epidemic? going on, may have thought that the child he was sending home,
simply had the flu, like all the others. Symptoms of early bacterial
meningitis are easily mistaken for the flu. This was evident in New
Hampshire around Christmas when an 18-year old co-ed was seen in an
Emergency Room, diagnosed with the flu and discharged without further
testing only to die of meningococcal meningitis a short time later. The
cases of the 5 children in the MMWR report, who died of invasive bacterial
illnesses, and who had no underlying condition, should be thoroughly
investigated. The fact that they ?tested positive for the flu? may be
etiologically irrelevant.

AND
Lastly, the fact that the events that followed vaccination of seven
children were not made available for review is also of concern
Before December 2002, there were 12 reports to the Vaccine Adverse Events
Reporting System (VAERS) of children under 10, who expired shortly after
receiving the inactivated flu vaccine. It is accepted that only a small
percentage of actual reactions are ever reported to VAERS. In 11 cases, the
flu vaccine was the only vaccine administered. All children had serious
underlying chronic illnesses. Five children died within 24 hours of
vaccination and 2 within 72 hours.

for full comments SEE
http://www.redflagsweekly.com/conferenc ... n12_2.html
HYPING VACCINES: AN INVESTIGATION

Chickenpox, Lyme, Rotavirus, And A Highly Revealing Analysis Of Flu Statistics

By RFD Columnist, Dr. F. Edward Yazbak
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Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Classical Homeopath
Well Within & Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours (worldwide)
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