Low Flu Vaccination Rates Among MI Children Worry Experts

MICHIGAN — Only about 35.5 percent of kids in Michigan have gotten seasonal influenza vaccinations, a worrisome national trend among health officials after a record 205 U.S. children — and likely many times more — died of the flu last year.

As of Nov. 30, just over a third (37 percent) of U.S. kids 17 and younger had gotten flu shots, compared with 43 percent at the same time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Michigan, 39.1 percent of children had gotten flu shots by this time in 2023. The CDC recommends flu shots for everyone 6 months of age or older. Flu can be more dangerous than a common cold for children under 5, and especially so for kids under 2.

Overall, only 26.6 percent of Michiganders are vaccinated against the flu. That number is down from 29.1 percent the previous year, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The CDC expects hospitalizations for flu and COVID-19 to start increasing in the coming weeks, and says vaccinations are the best way to avoid severe illnesses. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect.

Seasonal influenza rates are ticking up but remain low nationally, according to the CDC’s latest surveillance data.

Though flu activity is currently minimal in Michigan, health officials are encouraging Michiganders to get vaccinated.

"The flu season is unpredictable, and we do not want to underestimate the impact the virus can have on the health of our family members," Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian said. "National Influenza Vaccination Week creates awareness about the importance of the flu vaccine and serves as a reminder to get the flu vaccine for those who have not done so yet this season. Getting vaccinated against the flu decreases your chances of severe outcomes including hospitalization."

The CDC said that while 200 pediatric deaths were confirmed for the 2023-2024 influenza season, as many as 724 children may have died of the flu. Not all children who die are tested for the flu, according to the government health agency.

Health officials said the low vaccination rates — only about 55 percent of kids ended up getting their shots last year — and an exceptionally long flu season combined to make it a particularly deadly one for children.

With adults included, about 28,000 people died from the flu during the 2023-2024 season. Flu vaccination rates among adults ticked up the first year of the pandemic, but have since declined. The last time vaccine coverage was this low among adults was the 2017-2018 season, according to the CDC.