IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Understanding the Immunobiology of Severe and Life-Threatening Influenza Infection in Children

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker, a pediatric critical care physician, discussed research on why some children develop severe or life-threatening influenza requiring ICU care, ventilation, or ECMO. Children under 5 are especially vulnerable because of immature immunity, but the reasons older children and adolescents become critically ill are less clear. Her team studies influenza immunobiology through a large multicenter network, focusing on genetics, immune responses, vaccine effectiveness, and bacterial co-infection.<br /><br />Using case-control studies, the group found influenza vaccination reduced the risk of critical illness, with vaccine effectiveness estimates around 74–75% for severe outcomes. They built a biorepository across U.S. and Australian sites to collect blood, respiratory samples, and follow-up data. Whole-genome sequencing of 760 critically ill children found primary immune deficiencies in under 3%, including unexpected diagnoses such as DiGeorge syndrome and NF-kappa B2 deficiency.<br /><br />Immune profiling showed that children over 6 with severe influenza had reduced memory B and T cells and low IgG levels, suggesting a gap in adaptive immunity. Bacterial co-infection, especially with pneumococcus or staph, strongly increased mortality risk. Children with asthma appeared to have a different immune profile and were less likely to require intubation.<br /><br />Overall, the talk emphasized that severe flu in children reflects a mix of developmental immunity, hidden immune defects, bacterial co-infection, and possibly genetic susceptibility, underscoring the importance of vaccination and deeper immune evaluation.

Meta Tag

Date April 15, 2026 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM

Room 153C

Session Host Immune Response and Pathogenesis in Viral Respiratory Infections, Sponsored by the Intl. Soc. for Respiratory Viruses (ISRV)

Speaker Adrienne Randolph

Track Viral Immunology (VIR)

Year 2026

Keywords

pediatric critical care

severe influenza

ICU admission

influenza vaccination

immune deficiency

bacterial co-infection

genetic susceptibility

April 15, 2026 2:45 PM - 4:45 PM

153C

Host Immune Response and Pathogenesis in Viral Respiratory Infections, Sponsored by the Intl. Soc. for Respiratory Viruses (ISRV)

Adrienne Randolph

Viral Immunology (VIR)

2026