Tragedy: a 17-year-old from Jerusalem died of the flu

First case of death from flu in children this winter: A 17-year-old girl, healthy and without underlying illnesses, died after battling the flu for weeks. She was hospitalized for weeks on a heart-lung machine, but died yesterday. Her death joins a series of alarming cases of healthy children who recently contracted the flu and their condition rapidly deteriorated.

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 serious condition. 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 (Saturday) 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 is a highly contagious disease caused by influenza viruses. While most patients will recover within a few days, the disease can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, damage to the heart and nervous system, and even death. Children, the elderly and pregnant women are among the populations most vulnerable to complications, but even perfectly healthy people can be unexpectedly affected, as the tragic case of the girl demonstrates. The flu vaccine protects up to 4 years and is given in all HMOs free of charge and without a prescription from the nurses of the clinics.

Dr. Roni Farberan expert in administration and policy and director of the public health department at the United Health Fund said: “The morbidity data from the last few weeks is worrying. We are witnessing a significant increase in calls to emergency rooms and clinics, especially among babies, children and teenagers. The flu and its complications, such as respiratory tract infections and pneumonia, are at high levels than the average in the last decade. Children are a particularly vulnerable population, and the risk of developing serious complications such as pneumonia, Hospitalizations and even death are extremely high. However, we have a solution: the flu vaccine, which reduces the risk of hospitalization and reaching the intensive care unit in children in almost 70% of cases.”

Data obtained from the Southern Hemisphere show that the flu vaccine in the 2024 season has been proven to be 65% effective in preventing infection and 60% in preventing hospitalizations as a result of the complications of the disease. “These data emphasize how important the vaccine is,” says Dr. Farber. “A vaccine not only protects the vaccinated person, but also prevents infection and the spread of the disease in the immediate environment. Only 50-60 percent of adults in Israel are vaccinated, while among children the figure is much lower and stands at only about 20%, with a continuous downward trend. For comparison, in the UK the vaccination rate for children is over 60%. This is a critical figure, since children are not only more vulnerable to infection, but also spread the virus at a faster rate than adults.”