Christine Wear feels a mix of fear and hope as flu season approaches. “Anxieties are high,” she admits, trying to figure out how to keep life normal without wrapping her family in bubble wrap. Her concern is deeply personal—her 4-year-old son, Beckett, is still healing from a severe flu episode earlier this year.
When Beckett caught the flu in January, he quickly became lethargic. He struggled to move, speak, and even eat. It was a devastating repeat of a past illness: acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). This rare but serious condition causes significant inflammation in the brain due to the flu.
Beckett has been slow to regain his energy this time. “His brain is taking longer to recover this time,” Christine shared.
The first time Beckett was diagnosed with ANE in September 2022, he hadn’t received his flu shot. This time, he had been vaccinated. Unfortunately, studies indicate that flu vaccines may not be as effective for those who have previously experienced flu-related brain inflammation.
Pediatric cases of ANE are on the rise. In the 2024-25 flu season, the CDC reported 109 children diagnosed with this rare condition. Alarmingly, 84% of those cases involved children who were not vaccinated.
Last year saw 280 pediatric flu deaths, making it the deadliest season since the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. “We can’t predict which kids will face severe flu complications,” said Dr. Buddy Creech, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “That’s why we recommend vaccinations for all children.”
ANE is rare, with only a handful of cases each year. However, doctors are now observing an uptick in severe brain inflammation post-flu. “As a physician, I’ve noticed an increase,” said Dr. Molly Wilson-Murphy, a pediatric neurologist involved in the recent CDC study.
The data reveals a concerning trend. Among the reported cases of influenza-associated encephalopathy, 74% required intensive care, and 54% needed ventilators. Surprisingly, 55% of these children were previously healthy, and 19% did not survive.
“The flu is dangerous for kids, period,” emphasized Dr. Keith Van Haren from Stanford Medicine.
Flu vaccines don’t prevent infections as effectively as vaccines for other diseases, like measles or mumps. Still, they significantly lower hospitalization risks and reduce the likelihood of severe complications. The CDC indicated that the flu shot was about 78% effective in preventing hospitalizations last year.
Currently, fewer children are receiving the flu vaccine. Last year, only 49.2% of kids were vaccinated, a decline from 62.4% in the 2019-20 season. Experts attribute this drop to various factors, including increased vaccine hesitancy and difficulties accessing care.
Dr. Sean O’Leary from the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of widespread vaccination: “The best way to protect your family from the flu is to make sure everyone gets vaccinated.”
In the Southern Hemisphere, recent flu seasons show that vaccination can reduce related hospitalizations by half, underscoring its importance.
For parents like Christine, the stakes are clear. “It’s easy to ignore when it doesn’t impact your family directly,” she reflects. “But vaccination is a straightforward way to protect my son.”
As we move into this flu season, understanding the power of vaccination is critical—not just for families like Christine’s, but for the health of all children.
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