HONOLULU (KHON2) — State health officials reported the first child death from the flu in the 2024-2025 season on Friday, Dec. 13.
They said the child was from the Big Island and had underlying health conditions, so is it too late to get a flu shot?
The Hawaii Department of Health said all evidence pointed to seasonal flu as being responsible for the recent death of the child in Hawaii County who had underlying health conditions. Pediatricians said the flu can be a lot worse for those who have vulnerable immune systems.
“Underlying problems like heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, like asthma,” said Wee Pediatrics medical director Dr. Theresa Wee.
Health officials did not release the age of the child and cited privacy reasons as why they would not say whether the keiki had received protection against the flu. Inoculations against the flu can be given through shot or nasal spray.
“Getting that shot or, you know, if you get a nasal spray version, protects you by boosting your immune system so that you can recognize the virus when it comes along and fight back,” State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said.
Dr. Wee added that there has been some hesitation from parents to inoculate their children from the seasonal flu since COVID-19, but stressed the flu shot is not an MRNA vaccine.
“It’s not like the COVID vaccine. These are the traditional vaccines that we’ve all had before, and it’s been used and studied many, many times,” Dr. Wee said. “The side effects of the flu vaccine are very, very mild, much better than the alternative for children.”
“So the MRNA vaccine — which came with COVID — was new at the time, and that is a vaccine that is using a part of the genetic material to to help your body recognize and fight back against the virus, these are using antigens of the flu virus. So it’s a slightly different approach to vaccines, but they are all doing the same job,” Dr. Kemble said. “So far, we’ve had pretty low activity this season. So you’re still very much in time to go get a flu shot now.”
Check out more news from around Hawaii
Click here for more information on flu and other respiratory diseases.