2 more children die from influenza in severe year for Mass.
Four Massachusetts children have died this month from influenza, further evidence that the respiratory ailment has left a broad swath of illness across the state, public health authorities said yesterday.
The two most recent pediatric deaths were a 15-year-old Newton youth, who died Friday from bacterial pneumonia related to the flu, and a 12-year-old Worcester County girl who died Sunday.
Usually, the flu virus presents the greatest threat to patients already suffering from chronic health conditions, but the two children who died in recent days had been healthy until they developed symptoms of the disease.
Conversely, the first two children to die from flu complications this winter - a 6-year-old from Suffolk County and a 14-year-old from Middlesex County - had significant underlying medical problems.
None of the children was identified because of patient confidentiality laws.
This flu season struck with far greater ferocity than the past two winters, leaving waiting rooms overflowing with feverish, coughing patients. But the worst appears to be past, said disease specialists, whose tracking shows that flu cases peaked in mid-February.
"Whenever you have a lot of influenza, you're more likely to see the complications of influenza," said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state's top disease tracker. "That's what we've seen this year. And unfortunately, one of those complications that occurs very rarely has occurred more frequently this year, deaths in children 18 years and younger."
Specialists estimate that in a typical year, no more than two children die from flu in Massachusetts. But DeMaria conceded that constitutes a rough guess, because disease specialists did not start closely chronicling pediatric flu deaths until three years ago.
A recommendation last month from a panel that advises the federal government on vaccinations underscored the threat flu presents to children and their families. The specialists recommended that in future flu seasons, all children should be vaccinated, except those younger than 6 months.
Despite the deaths in Massachusetts, doctors are not urging parents to rush to have their children get shots or a nasal vaccine now, largely because the flu season appears to be winding down and it takes two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective.
If a child does fall ill, it can be tricky for parents to know when to seek medical treatment. Children with severe asthma, a recurring heart condition, or other chronic problems should be taken to their doctor if they develop flu symptoms, said Dr. Joanne Cox, medical director of Children's Hospital Primary Care Center.
If a child is otherwise healthy, Cox recommended following these guidelines: If a child has a fever but is still is eating and drinking and out of bed, then it is probably safe to wait a couple of days before deciding to visit the doctor.
But if a child's fever ranges above 102 and is accompanied by lethargy, loss of appetite, cough, and chest pain, that changes the calculation.
"Your child who just looks like they feel horrible and they have a cough and a high fever, they're the ones who should be seen sooner rather than later," Cox said.
Stephen Smith can be reached at stsmith@globe.com.
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