Child deaths from flu have increased nationally and in Texas according to recent data, emphasizing the importance of timely immunization.
In the 2024-2025 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show the U.S. lost 235 children to influenza-related deaths. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), 15 of those deaths have occurred in Texas. With the flu season only recently officially over, each of those numbers is poised to increase at least slightly as agencies finalize their data.
“The most important thing that we can do really is immunization,” said Gilbert Handal, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in El Paso.
As of April 26, 49.2% of children nationally had received a flu vaccine, compared to 53.4% at the same point in 2024, CDC reports. In Texas, 52.6% of children had received a flu vaccine by April 26, similar to the previous flu season’s uptake of 53%.
The state and national child mortality numbers are both higher than the toll from preceding flu seasons. DSHS reported zero pediatric flu deaths in Texas in the 2023-2024 season, while CDC reported 207 nationally in that season. The spike this year represents a 15-year national high in pediatric flu mortality.
The underpinnings of the state and national increases are multifaceted and complex, according to Dr. Handal, a consultant to the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Infectious Diseases.
Increased population statewide, lower immunization rates, vaccine hesitancy, comorbidities, incomplete or ineffective public health measures, and difficulty predicting a dominant flu virus strain all play a part, he says.But one strategy stands out.
“If kids were immunized timely and appropriately, even if the penetration of the vaccine protection is not as high as we want it to be, there would be much more protection to children,” Dr. Handal said.
TMA’s Vaccines Defend What Matters program can help support local flu immunization efforts through grants up to $3,500. The program is accepting applications from June 18 – Aug. 22, with funding decisions made mid-September.
For more information on infectious diseases and immunization, visit TMA’s public health webpage.
Jessica Ridge
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1395