Boy With Flu Spent Three Weeks In Intensive Care

The parents of a boy who became truthful unwell pinch flu he spent 3 weeks successful intensive attraction are urging different families to get their children vaccinated against nan virus.

Joel, from Torquay successful Devon, was 5 erstwhile he was rushed to Bristol Children's Hospital pinch a dangerously debased bosom rate. He later had to person a pacemaker fitted.

His begetter Brian said it was an "extremely worrying and traumatic" clip and he believed if Joel, who has Down's syndrome, had been vaccinated he would not person needed infirmary treatment.

It comes arsenic nan latest figures show nan number of flu infections successful Devon person risen since nan commencement of 2026.

Joel's parents said he was a happy and lively small boy but started to consciousness unwell successful March past year. They kept him distant from schoolhouse for 2 days but, by nan weekend, Joel was emotion worse.

"He was crying overnight and by nan Saturday greeting he was not looking good astatine all," Brian explained.

"We rang nan retired of hours GP and nan expert was really concerned pinch his bosom complaint – which had go truthful low."

Joel was taken to Torbay Hospital wherever he spent 2 days and 2 nights. But contempt nan paediatric team's champion efforts "they couldn't get his bosom complaint up".

Joel was taken to Bristol Children's Hospital by ambulance pinch his begetter astatine his side.

"He was continuously connected nan bosom show and they saw that he had an infection. They started him connected antibiotics.

And because of his condition, pinch Down's syndrome, he wouldn't support that disguise on, truthful he had to beryllium intubated", said Brian.

Joel spent 3 weeks successful intensive attraction fighting nan infection. He was later transferred to nan cardiac portion and a pacemaker was fitted.

"It's difficult to judge that flu led to each this… but it did," Brian said.

Joel has Down's syndrome, among different wellness conditions but paediatrician Dr Niamh Lynch said flu could beryllium superior for immoderate child.

"Thankfully, hospitalisation is simply a reasonably uncommon occurrence but unluckily it does hap each twelvemonth that children - moreover children who don't person underlying aesculapian conditions - tin go very unwell pinch nan flu.

I would ever counsel parents to look retired for reddish flags of illness.

And we're nan experts connected our ain child. We cognize them amended than anybody else, because we're pinch them each nan time", she said.

The latest figures show location were 92 group successful infirmary pinch flu crossed Devon's infirmary trusts connected 4 January, a emergence of 18% connected nan erstwhile week.

In Torbay, wherever Joel and his family live, nan numbers show a dependable climb.

Nine group were successful Torbay infirmary pinch nan flu connected 21 December that roseate to 16 by 28 December and 19 by 4 January.

Joel has now afloat recovered from his infection, though he must proceed to deterioration a pacemaker to guarantee a regular heartbeat.

Brian said he believed if Joel had received his flu vaccine connected clip - his admittance to infirmary could person been avoided.

"It wouldn't person taken him to specified extremes if he had nan correct vaccine astatine nan correct time.

I would counsel parents to make nan champion usage of nan connection that is disposable connected nan NHS," said Brian.

The children's flu vaccine is offered to children aged 2 to three, school-aged children (Reception to Year 11) and children pinch definite semipermanent wellness conditions.

Dr Alasdair Wood from nan UK Health Security Agency said nan southbound westbound had 1 of nan champion vaccination rates successful nan country, but location were still immoderate groups for whom return up was low.

"Pregnant women and group pinch a semipermanent wellness information we're not getting to," he said.

"It's only astir half to two-thirds of group from those groups coming guardant for nan vaccination.

"It's really important we proceed to push nan connection that flu tin beryllium dangerous, and we want to make judge we're doing everything we tin for group to beryllium protected."