4-year-old dies from flu after mom sought advice from anti-vax Facebook group

(CBS News) — This week, the state of Colorado suffered its second pediatric flu death of the season. The first, in January, was a school-aged child outside the Denver metro area. The second, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, was a 4-year-old boy from Pueblo.

Now, just days after his death, questions are swirling about whether more could have been done to save him amid reports that his mother followed misguided advice from members of an online anti-vaccine group.

Four-year-old Najee’s mother told CBS affiliate KKTV that her son was a vibrant boy who always made people laugh.

“He was the light of everybody’s day,” she said. “He’s full of joy, full of energy, has the most beautiful smile with his super deep dimples.”

In early February, two of Najee’s brothers tested positive for influenza. And according to a GoFundMe set up by the family, Najee’s mother took his 10-month-old brother to the emergency room with a fever of 104 degrees. Upon their return home, she gave the boys baths and sent 4-year-old Najee and his 5-year-old brother to their room to put on pajamas.

Minutes later, the 5-year-old came out and told his mother that “Junior,” as Najee’s family affectionately called him, was asleep. His mother then discovered him lying on the floor, pale, where he had apparently suffered a febrile seizure as a result of a flu-related fever. 

She called 911 and started CPR. Najee was eventually airlifted to a hospital in Colorado Springs. According to the family’s GoFundMe, Najee was taken off life support on Wednesday.

Now, screenshots from an anti-vax Facebook group called “Stop Mandatory Vaccination” are circulating online, and they appear to show that the week before Najee died, his mother sought advice on how to treat her sons’ illness. Members of the group advised giving the boys vitamins, botanicals, and fruits and vegetables rather than the Tamiflu that their doctor prescribed.

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