Several parents said knowing the pediatric flu victims’ vaccination histories could comfort families who worry the vaccine might not be sufficient to protect their children. Additionally, some parents believe state officials should relax patient privacy rules to inform the public of the flu victims’ vaccination status.
NYC Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, MD, could not say whether the children in these specific cases received the flu vaccine. “Not speaking to these individual cases, we see very few children who have fatal flu have been vaccinated,” she said. “The majority are not vaccinated.”
As the flu season extends into May, physicians and officials encourage people to get the vaccine.
More articles on infection control:
4 most germ-ridden places for infection spread in offices
GoodRx offers free coupons to slash price of generic Tamiflu
Olympic norovirus outbreak nears 200 cases
