In late September, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning that largely went unnoticed. Some 200 children died from the flu during the 2023-2024 season, setting a record high. The overwhelming majority of those children who died — 83% — were eligible for a flu vaccine but did not receive one, according to the CDC.

“It’s definitely a concern. Vaccine rates have gone down since the pandemic,” said Dr. Aaron Milstone, pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Milstone and other pediatric experts across the country have observed more vaccine hesitancy since the pandemic, likely fueled by misinformation. But there could be a bigger blindspot: complacency. Parents, guardians and caregivers may forgo the flu vaccine because it’s not required for school like other immunizations. There’s also a belief among too many adults that the flu isn’t as much of a problem for children as it is for seniors. Even looking at the CDC’s numbers may be underwhelming, and the agency’s statistics don’t count how many children were hospitalized or severely ill during the last flu season.

But Milstone succinctly explains what we know for sure. “The flu can kill kids. Vaccines offer protection.”

And while the flu vaccine doesn’t guarantee a person won’t get the flu, it can lessen symptoms and prevent them from getting sicker.

“It’s hard to watch a kid die from a preventable death — really hard,” Milstone said.

Though there are disparities in health care, there’s very good access to immunizations in Baltimore, according to Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, an expert at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and one of Mayor Brandon Scott’s senior advisers on health policy. There’s no real policy solution to boost flu vaccines in children, Sharfstein said. It’s a matter of raising awareness.

“The issue for most city children is not about financial access. The access is very good, but many kids don’t get the flu vaccine because it’s not necessarily required,” Sharfstein said. “But it’s something parents should pay attention to. All parents should talk to their child’s clinician about getting the flu vaccine.”

Sharfstein, who previously served as city health commissioner, said the flu has developed a reputation as something we just have to endure in the winter, a routine part of life.

“But the flu can be very serious,” he said. “Parents should treat the flu as one of a number of threats.”

The flu season typically peaks from December to February, and clinicians are sounding the alarm now for patients six months and older to get the flu vaccine. Children and adults can typically get vaccinated in their doctors’ offices, local pharmacies, and sometimes their workplaces and schools.

The American Medical Association, the Ad Council, CDC and CDC Foundation have launched a new campaign, “Play Defense Against the Flu,” with public-service announcements in English and Spanish. Their campaign especially aims to boost vaccination rates in Black and Hispanic communities.

“Black and Hispanic populations are at a higher risk of severe complications from the flu due to longstanding health care inequities and disproportionately low vaccination coverage,” said AMA President Dr. Bruce A. Scott.

The AMA notes that during last year’s flu season, only half of U.S. residents got a flu vaccine and 35 million more people contracted the flu. Nearly 400,000 people were hospitalized, and about 25,000 died from the flu or related complications.

Experts the CDC consulted are expecting a similar flu season this year.

We know this is a busy time of year, especially for families with children. Just as we have used these pages to encourage you to make a plan for voting, we also encourage you to make a plan to get your flu vaccine. The science, data and doctors are clear that the flu is a serious illness, and more flu vaccinations typically mean fewer hospitalizations and deaths. Preventable deaths should be prevented.