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Father’s loss fuels advocacy for flu vaccination amid the rising virus across the country

Jeb Teichman and his son

This article was posted on Mid-Michigan Now. Read more here. 

The flu season has turned deadly in Michigan, with two children succumbing to flu-related complications, marking the state’s first pediatric deaths from the virus this season. One child was from Genesee County and the other from Wayne County.

Doctors are describing this as the worst flu season they have witnessed. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Michigan has been in the high range for flu cases since December 28, and the spread is now considered very high.

Nationwide, 57 children have died from flu complications this season. Jeb Teichman, a pediatrician from Kentucky, knows the dangers of the virus all too well. “On November 2, 2019, I lost my healthy 29-year-old son to complications from influenza,” he said.

Brent Teichman was one of 22,000 people who died from the flu in 2019. To honor his son, Jeb joined the board of Families Fighting Flu, a national organization. “His legacy is doing things like this for Families Fighting Flu to spread the word that people don’t have to die from the flu if they get vaccinated,” Jeb said.

The CDC emphasizes that while the flu vaccine cannot guarantee immunity from the virus, it is the best protection against complications. Jeb noted that low vaccination rates are contributing to the severity of this flu season. Despite being an advocate for the flu shot, his son Brent had not been vaccinated. “You know when they’re 29 and they think they’re invincible, Brent had it on his to-do list when we reminded him, but he just never got around to it,” Jeb said.

This flu season has already claimed 13,000 lives, according to the CDC. Jeb’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the seriousness of influenza. “To this day at night, I close my eyes and I can still hear the monitors beeping. They were calling for round after round of adrenaline; they just couldn’t bring him back,” he recalled.

Last flu season, nearly 200 children died. Doctors are urging people to get the flu shot and, if sick, to get tested so they can receive antiviral medications.

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These schedules list the age or age range when each vaccine or series of shots is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). If your child (birth through 6 years old) or adolescent (age 7 through 18 years old) has missed any shots, talk to your child’s doctor about getting back on track.

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Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
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Families Fighting Flu
Families Fighting Flu is a nonprofit on a mission to save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza.

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Vaccinate Your Family, formerly known as Every Child By Two, is a non-profit organization that advocates for vaccinations.

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