Flu, the vaccine and everything you need to know about the disease that can kill

This is not a banal disease: Yesterday (Sunday) we learned about the death of a 17-year-old girl from the flu, after being hospitalized for weeks while connected to a heart-lung machine. She joins the backlog of children who were recently hospitalized with the disease in critical condition. Why does the disease that is considered transient become fatal?

The tragedy began a few weeks ago when the girl from the ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem, who was not vaccinated against the flu, was hospitalized in a serious condition at the Shaarei Zedek Medical Center.

The tests showed that she was infected with strain B influenza. Her condition continued to deteriorate and she was hospitalized in the intensive care unit while being connected to the “acmo” machine that replaces the heart and lungs. Her condition continued to deteriorate and yesterday (Sunday) she was pronounced dead.

Recently, cases of severe influenza morbidity have accumulated among healthy children who are not vaccinated, some of them were hospitalized in intensive care units. According to the data of the Ministry of Health, only about 10% of the children this winter were vaccinated against the flu. The vaccination rate among the elderly this year is also very low.

In the last winter season in Australia and New Zealand, where the winter season ended in September, an unusual accumulation of severe cases of influenza was recorded. Hospitals in these countries reported heavy workloads due to particularly high morbidity, including severe cases among children.

The flu, which is usually considered a transient illness, can become fatal due to the body’s complex responses to fight the virus. It is not just about the virus itself, but about the interaction between it and our immune system, which sometimes works with great force to the point of damaging vital tissues.

The flu virus enters the body through the nose, mouth or eyes, and begins to multiply in the cells of the respiratory tract. The virus, which cannot replicate itself, “steals” the genetic material of the body’s cells and uses it to reproduce.

This process triggers a powerful immune response: white blood cells and antibodies rush to the infected area to destroy the captured cells. In most people, this reaction ends in recovery, but sometimes the immune system works with excessive force and causes irreversible damage to healthy tissues, especially the lungs and respiratory tract.

In other cases, the flu causes secondary infections, such as pneumonia, as a result of bacteria taking advantage of the weakness of the immune system. These infections can lead to septic shock – a life-threatening condition in which vital organs are damaged and blood pressure drops, often ending in death.

In addition, influenza viruses can cause rare but serious complications, such as inflammation of the heart muscle, encephalitis, and syndromes such as Reye or Guyana-Barre, which lead to severe nerve damage and even paralysis.

In a normal flu season, infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and the chronically ill are the most vulnerable populations. However, in recent seasons, deaths have also been reported among healthy young people, which highlights the need for vaccination.

The flu vaccines, with 70% to 100% effectiveness, have been proven to save lives and prevent complications and hospitalizations. The vaccine is recommended for babies, children, the elderly, pregnant women and chronic patients.

For pregnant women, the vaccine not only protects them but also the unborn baby. The peak of morbidity in Israel usually occurs between the end of December and January, so the vaccine at this stage is still effective. Moreover, the vaccine provides protection for a whole year. The guidelines state that one must also be vaccinated against corona, and against the pneumococcal bacteria that causes lung infections and deadly blood infections.