A three-month-old baby was last week confirmed to have serious flu complications, the youngest person this flu season, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
A total of 61,628 flu-like illness cases, including 25 with serious complications, were reported at clinics and hospitals nationwide last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Liu Ting-ping (劉定萍) said in a weekly national disease monitoring report.
A total of 124 cases with serious complications have been reported this flu season, which started on Oct. 1, she said, adding that 77 of them were influenza A virus subtype H3N2 infections.
Photo: CNA
Eleven flu-related deaths have been confirmed this flu season, of which six were caused by the H3N2 strain and five by influenza A virus subtype H1N1, she added.
The ages of the 25 people with serious flu complications reported last week ranged from three months to 91 years old, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said, adding that 23 of them had not been vaccinated.
Two of them were younger than six months, he said, adding that as children younger than six months cannot receive a flu vaccine, parents and nursery staff should get vaccinated and practice good personal hygiene to protect the infants.
Two of the people were pregnant, Lin said, adding that the vaccination rate for pregnant women is relatively low, as many believe that getting a flu shot during pregnancy might harm the fetus.
However, studies have shown that a flu vaccination protects the mother and the baby after birth, Lin said, adding that serious flu complications during pregnancy might cause fetal distress, a premature birth or a stillbirth.
The peak flu season is expected to arrive in two weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said, urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to avoid crowded places with poor ventilation.
More than 4.93 million government-funded flu vaccines had been administered as of Sunday, and about 189,000 vaccines for adults and 72,000 vaccines for children aged six months to three years remain in stock, Chuang said.
Some cities and counties have changed where government-funded flu shots are administered, so people should check the Web site of the CDC or their local health department, or call by telephone to locate them, he added.
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