Influenza: Nothing to Sneeze At

“I’m healthy; I don’t need a flu shot.” “The flu shot gives you the flu.” “I’ll take my chances — the flu isn’t that big of a deal.” Many excuses keep people from being immunized against seasonal flu. None is valid. And despite evidence to the contrary, many people still consider the flu more of a nuisance than a life-threatening virus. The reality is, complications related to seasonal flu kill nearly 40,000 people annually and hospitalize even more. In this issue, we feature three patients with influenza to emphasize the need for annual flu vaccines for children, teens and adults.

From Slight Fever to Sudden Fatality

In early December 2003, 15-month-old Breanne Palmer’s parents tried to get her vaccinated against the flu, but because she had been diagnosed with an ear infection, her pediatrician would not vaccinate her.

During the evening of Dec. 20, Breanne developed a slight fever and began to show flu symptoms. The next morning, Breanne’s fever rose to 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Her parents took her to the pediatrician, where the influenza diagnosis was made. Breanne was given antibiotics and sent home. When Breanne went to bed that night, her temperature was almost normal. However, as the night wore on, her temperature climbed again very rapidly, reaching 105.5 degrees. When she began to have difficulty breathing, Breanne’s parents called 911.

At the hospital, Breanne’s temperature rose to 107 degrees. Her temperature was lowered by doctors in the emergency room, but Breanne had to be transferred to another hospital for more intensive care. A special life-support machine was needed as the virus began to attack Breanne’s heart and brain stem. However, after being transferred to yet another hospital, doctors told Breanne’s parents that the damage to her young body was so extensive there was nothing the life-support machine could do. Breanne died in her mother’s arms on Dec. 23, 2003, from influenza A.

Complications Take the Life of a Healthy, Active Teen

Diane and Michael McGowan’s healthy 15-year-old son, Martin, died from complications as a result of the flu in 2005. “One flu shot could have saved his life,” says Diane. “As his mother, I wish that he had been vaccinated.”

The day before Martin died, Diane noticed he looked a little under the weather. Martin insisted that he felt fine and that he could not miss baseball tryouts that day. After tryouts, Martin was exhausted and complained that his legs hurt from running.

Around 2:30 a.m., Martin was vomiting, had a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and was experiencing increasing pain in his legs. A short time later, a decision was made to take Martin to the emergency room. Initial testing showed Martin was infected with the flu. He also was diagnosed with compartment syndrome — a serious condition that limits blood circulation to muscles and causes severe pain. Participation in the baseball tryouts while infected with the flu likely caused the compartment syndrome in his legs. To treat the compartment syndrome, Martin was taken to surgery that afternoon. During surgery, his heart stopped and he could not be revived. Martin died just 24 hours after his first symptom of the flu appeared.

Professional Football Player Tackled by Flu

At age 32, five-time pro bowler and former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick was tackled by the flu. The virus hit him so hard that he was hospitalized for three days.

“It can knock you down harder than any tackle,” Mike says. “Even though I was devoted to maintaining my fitness and health, influenza hit me one New Year’s Eve and by New Year’s Day, I was hospitalized and on IVs. I vowed I would do all I can to prevent that from threatening my health again by getting immunized.”

Mike also has his family to be concerned about. His son, Ronson, and his mother both suffer from heart disease — a condition that puts them at high risk for developing complications from the flu and are therefore recommended for annual immunization. To protect themselves, both his son and mother are vaccinated annually, as well as Mike’s sister, who is a caregiver.

Quick has demonstrated time and again that he is willing to take risks to win. But he knows where to draw the line.

“Don’t take a chance with your health this influenza season,” he says. “I didn’t realize the seriousness of the flu until I was hospitalized from it, but now I encourage everyone to get immunized.”

Making Vaccination a Priority

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual influenza vaccination for people with a high risk of developing complications from the influenza virus, such as seniors and people with chronic medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, the vaccine is recommended for those who are likely to spread the virus to people at risk. Today, CDC guidelines have expanded to also include children of all ages.

“My wife and I lost our healthy, beautiful daughter, Amanda, to the flu when she was just 4½ years old. At that time, she did not fall within the CDC’s influenza vaccination recommendations,” says Richard Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu. “Now all kids six months through 18 years are recommended to get vaccinated against the flu every year. What happened to my daughter can happen to any child. It’s our responsibility as parents to protect our children.”

Kanowitz goes on to emphasize that the responsibility does not just rest with the general public; healthcare providers need to set an example by being vaccinated annually, and take advantage of all opportunities to spread the message about influenza vaccination.

“Providers that don’t conduct clinics need to make flu vaccination a top priority by discussing it with all parents as they bring their children in for visits throughout the season and urging them to get themselves and their kids vaccinated each and every year,” Kanowitz says.