Noosa schoolgirl second Australian flu fatality in days

SA authorities have released new health warnings after an 11-year-old schoolgirl died from influenza B interstate, a day after a private hospital sent her home.

Flu victim Emma Schwab

SA authorities have issued a fresh warning about the dangers of the common flu in young children after an 11-year-old girl in Queensland died from influenza B.

A Year 9 student in New South Wales has also died after contracting the influenza B virus.

A SA Health spokesperson said the flu can cause serious illness and complications in all young children, and can be worse in kids suffering medical conditions including diabetes, breathing or heart problems.

“Complications of the flu may be severe and include bronchitis, pneumonia and painful ear infections,” the spokesperson said.

“Flu infections can lead to hospital stays, and even death.”

SA Health has reported 921 confirmed flu cases and 33 people in hospital, for a total of 8965 cases notified so far this year.

In late June, a man in his 20s with underlying health conditions died from the flu.

The urgent warning comes after Sunshine Coast girl Emma Schwab died with the flu a day after she was released from a private hospital’s emergency department.

It’s understood the 11-year-old was taken to the Noosa Hospital ED on July 5 after contracting influenza B, but the following day she was back at her home where an ambulance had to be called.

Emma was said to have been extremely unwell when it is understood several crews arrived, including critical care paramedics, and she was rushed to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital. But she tragically died soon after arriving.

Queensland has the highest number of flu cases in the country at a rate of 722 cases per 100,000 people and cases have been highest in children aged five to nine, followed by those aged zero to four years and then aged 10 to 14 years.

In the past 12 days 78 children aged six months to four years have been hospitalised with the flu – 50 with the B strain. Only one was vaccinated.

With Australia on track to eclipse it”s deadliest ever flu season in 2019, doctors are laying the blame squarely at the feet of poor vaccination rates.

At least 107 Australians have lost their lives to influenza since the start of the year, according to data from the Federal Department of Health.

However, a spokeswoman for the department warned the number did not reflect the true mortality of the disease as it would “require the specific follow up of each specific case to determine the outcome of their infection. Associated deaths have been notified to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System”.

A SA Health spokesperson recommended the annual flu vaccine, which is free for all children from six months to five years of age.

“The flu vaccine is safe and has been given to children in Australia for many years,” the spokesperson said. Earlier this year, SA Health data showed up to a third of all reported flu cases were children aged nine years old or younger.

Originally published as Noosa schoolgirl second Australian flu fatality in days