Watch out for severe flu warning signs in children, BCCDC tells parents

A third child has died in the province due to complications linked to influenza, and Dr. Aamir Bharmal, medical director for the BC Centre for Disease Control’s Public Health Response Service, says there are steps parents can take to keep their kids safe.

Bharmal tells CityNews parents need to be on the lookout for specific symptoms.

“If a child is having a persistent fever, difficulty breathing, they’re more drowsy, they’re not really keeping fluids down — those are reasons to be seeking emergency care and that’s what we really want parents to know as well,” he said.

For children three months of age or less, any fever is a concerning sign.

Bharmal tells parents that if a child appears to be getting better after the flu but then starts to get very sick, very fast, they need to seek care right away.

Dr. Pargat Singh Bhurji, a pediatrician,

The BCCDC says, according to early findings, influenza was a contributing factor in all three deaths, but not necessarily the only cause, adding that all of the deaths also involved bacterial infections.

“In all three of these cases that we saw, there was a secondary bacterial infection that was a complication as a result of — following — the influenza infection,” he said. “So in each of these cases, it’s important to note that we are seeing more of these secondary bacterial infections like group A strep.”

Vaccination also plays a role in preventing more serious illness, Bharmal says, and if your kids aren’t already vaccinated, it’s not too late.

“Given that we haven’t had this H1 strain circulating for some time, especially with pandemic-related measures, we may also just be seeing a lot more of this illness among children,” he said. “So it’s important for them to get protected.”

Bharmal says because the number of deaths is so small — making the families more easily identifiable — information about whether or not the children were vaccinated is not publicly available.

The province is seeing a rise in cases of influenza and RSV, according to the BC CDC, which adds hospitalizations and deaths linked to COVID-19 have dropped since early November. Experts say on average, about 2 or 3 children die in B.C. from flu-related complications in a season. Last year was an unusually bad year, with 6 deaths.

With files from The Canadian Press.