Girl, 8, in ICU after flu complication — wasn't vaccinated

A medical drama unfolded at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Yerushalayim this week: an 8-year-old girl, completely healthy with no underlying conditions, was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit following a severe complication of influenza. The girl, who had not been vaccinated against the flu, arrived at the emergency room in critical condition, suffering from severe respiratory distress and high fever.

Dr. Eliachi Berliner, a senior physician in Shaare Zedek's pediatric emergency department, described the scene: "The girl arrived in serious condition, suffering from severe shortness of breath and high fever. From the moment she was admitted, we began providing urgent medical care, including drug therapy and respiratory support. After stabilizing her condition, she was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit, sedated and ventilated."

A review by the medical team revealed that while the girl had received all her routine childhood vaccinations, she had not received the seasonal flu vaccine. The effort to save her life involved expanded teams, including Dr. Yulia Gimelreich Tsernilov, a senior physician, Dr. Shani Cohen Elias, a senior resident in the pediatric emergency department, and the hospital's nursing and medical staff.

After a tense 24 hours during which the teams fought for the girl's life, her condition showed some improvement. Dr. Shani Cohen Elias reports: "We are closely monitoring the girl's condition. Thankfully, there has been improvement and she was weaned off the ventilator after about a day."

Still, the medical team is using the case to deliver an urgent message to parents. "A healthy child with no underlying conditions, who reaches such a severe medical state because of the flu, this is a distressing case that illustrates once again the critical importance of vaccination against the disease," Dr. Cohen Elias explains.

"Flu is not just a disease of adults," she emphasizes. "It can cause serious, immediate, long-term and even life-threatening harm to children and infants." The intensive care team is sharpening its call to parents not to take influenza lightly during the winter season, and to go get vaccinated in order to prevent serious and unnecessary complications among healthy children.

The case joins a series of similar incidents documented in recent weeks. Several days ago, a 17-year-old girl was hospitalized in serious condition at Assuta Ashdod following a flu complication, and recovered after a week in intensive care. In that case as well, the girl had not yet been vaccinated against the flu.

Doctors warn that influenza is not a disease of adults alone, and can be life-threatening even to healthy children. They are calling on parents to insist on the seasonal flu vaccine for all family members, especially during the winter season.