As flu season looms, parents like Christine Wear are on edge. Her 4-year-old son, Beckett, is still recovering from a terrifying flu complication called acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). It struck him twice, leaving him unable to move, eat, or talk for a time. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sounds the alarm: Last flu season, 109 kids were hit with similar brain issues tied to influenza. Even scarier? Most weren’t vaccinated. With child flu deaths at a near-record high and vaccine rates dropping, experts are begging families to act. Getting a flu shot could mean the difference between a sniffle and a hospital bed—or worse.
Beckett’s story is a gut punch. In January, the flu hit him hard. Within a week, he was lethargic, his tiny body frozen—head and arms limp. It was his second bout with ANE, a rare brain inflammation triggered by the flu. The first time, in September 2022, he hadn’t gotten his flu shot yet. This time, he had, but research hints shots may not work as well for kids who’ve had flu-related brain issues before. His mom, Christine, from River Forest, Illinois, says recovery’s been slow. “It has taken longer for his brain to recover,” she told NBC News. Her fear for the coming season is real: “Anxieties are high.”
The CDC’s latest data paints a grim picture. Last flu season (2024-25), 109 children were diagnosed with influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE), a condition where the flu attacks the nervous system. Symptoms range from confusion and trouble walking to hallucinations, odd movements, and seizures. ANE, like Beckett’s, made up about a third of these cases. The stats are chilling:
- Critical Care Surge: 74% of these kids landed in the ICU.
- Life Support Needed: 54% required ventilators to breathe.
- Healthy Kids Hit: 55% had no prior health issues—proof the flu doesn’t just target the “sickly.”
- Tragic Losses: 19% didn’t make it home.
Dr. Keith Van Haren, a pediatric neurologist at Stanford Medicine and study co-author, doesn’t mince words: “Flu is dangerous for children, period.” Last year, 280 kids died from flu-related causes—the deadliest toll since the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic. Shockingly, 90% of those kids hadn’t gotten their flu shot. With 84% of IAE cases unvaccinated (where status was known), the message is clear: Shots save lives.
Flu vaccines aren’t perfect. They’re less bulletproof than, say, the measles shot. But they’re champs at cutting severe outcomes. Last season, the flu shot was up to 78% effective at keeping kids out of hospitals. Down in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season just wrapped, vaccines slashed hospitalizations by half. Dr. Sean O’Leary from the American Academy of Pediatrics puts it simply: “The best way to protect yourself and your family from influenza is for everyone to get vaccinated.” Yet, fewer kids are getting jabbed. Only 49.2% got their shot last year, down from 62.4% in 2019-20. Why the drop? Vaccine hesitancy is part of it, but so are access issues—busy parents, short-staffed clinics, and fewer after-hours flu drives.
Doctors are seeing more brain complications like ANE, though it’s rare, with just a handful of cases yearly. It’s never been officially tracked until now. Dr. Molly Wilson-Murphy, a pediatric neurologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and study author, noticed a spike. “I was certainly struck that this was an increase,” she said. She suspects IAE has at least seven forms, with ANE being one of the worst. It’s a brutal reminder: The flu isn’t just a cough. It can invade the brain, leaving kids fighting for their lives.
For parents like Christine, it’s personal. Beckett, once a bundle of energy, lost his ability to walk after his second ANE hit. He’s inching back, but it’s a marathon. “It’s easy not to worry about it when it doesn’t directly affect your family,” Christine said. Her plea? Get the shot—not just for your kids, but to shield vulnerable ones like Beckett. The CDC backs her up: Everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated yearly, with rare exceptions.
This flu season’s stakes feel higher. Pediatric deaths and brain cases are a wake-up call. Experts like Dr. Buddy Creech from Vanderbilt stress that complications don’t just hit “sickly” kids. “We don’t always know how to predict which kids are going to have the most severe forms of flu,” he said. That unpredictability makes vaccines non-negotiable. Clinics are gearing up, but staffing woes and hesitancy could slow rollouts. Some parents skip shots, thinking flu’s no big deal. Tell that to the 280 families who lost kids last year—or to Christine, watching Beckett relearn to move.
The broader picture? Flu’s a global menace. The World Health Organization pegs annual deaths at up to 650,000. Kids under 5 are hit hardest. In the U.S., hospitals braced for a rough 2024-25 season after last year’s toll. Schools, where flu spreads like wildfire, need parents on board. Vaccination campaigns are ramping up, but myths—like “the shot gives you flu” (it doesn’t)—linger. Access fixes, like mobile clinics or pharmacy jabs, could help.
Christine’s voice trembles for a reason. Her son’s fight shows what’s at stake. As flu season nears, the CDC’s report is a loud warning: Don’t skip the shot. It’s not just about sniffles—it’s about saving kids from ventilators, wheelchairs, or worse. For Beckett, and thousands like him, it’s a simple ask with life-changing impact. Get vaccinated, and keep the flu from stealing another child’s spark.
