As New York sees record number of child flu deaths, this mom turns her pain into purpose
Amid declining vaccinations rates, a mother from New York is turning her pain into purpose decades after her young daughter died from the flu.
It comes as staggering numbers show a record number of children died in New York state from influenza over the winter. Of the 25 children who died, only one was vaccinated and five were too young to be, State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said.
Scarsdale mom promoting flu vaccine and awareness
Allissa Kanowitz of Scarsdale holds onto memories of her daughter, Amanda, who died from the flu in 2004. Amanda was a happy and healthy 4-year-old, until one day when she developed a cough and mild fever. She died 48 hours later.
"Nobody should ever have to experience what we did," Kanowitz said.
She believes the flu vaccine could have saved Amanda's life.
"She wasn't vaccinated. Remember this was back in 2004," Kanowitz said. "The recommendations from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] were only up through age 24 months back then. We were like everybody else. We thought, 'It's just the flu.'"
The CDC now recommends the flu shot for everyone six months and older to reduce the rise of flu-related hospitalization and death.
"It breaks my heart when I see these pediatric deaths still happening," she said.
In her daughter's honor, Kanowitz made it her mission to promote flu vaccination and awareness through the nonprofit Families Fighting Flu.
"She was such a special child and we feel like we need to bring some meaning out of her loss and try to protect other children," she said.
Lower vaccination rates blamed on post-COVID hesitancy
In addition to the startling number of child flu deaths, national vaccination rates are down, including in New York.
"There's a greater than 5% decline in flu vaccine rates compared this year to two years ago, and that should concern everybody," McDonald said.
McDonald blames vaccine hesitancy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is something that's really significant ... The vaccine hesitancy before the pandemic is nothing like what it is after the pandemic," he said. "We have the safest, most effective vaccines we've had ever."
Dr. Jennifer Duchon, an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital, says parents should choose to vaccinate their children, if able.
"What I worry about most, is there are some people who can't be vaccinated and choosing to vaccinate your child is not only protecting you child, but protecting children who can't make that choice for themselves," she said.
In February, amid this winter's second wave of the virus, flu levels nationwide were at the highest they had been since the peak of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, according to figures published by the CDC. At the time, close to 8% of visits for respiratory illness to outpatient providers, including urgent cares and doctors offices, reported to the CDC were people sick with the flu. That was the worst on record in the CDC's influenza surveillance network since late 2009.
