After four children in New York City and two in New Jersey died from the flu this season, area parents expressed frustration Wednesday due to a lack of information from state officials about whether or not those children received the flu vaccine, according to a CBS New York report.
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.