Muhammed Segaff: Amber-Jade Sanderson praises grieving Perth family for speaking out on flu vaccination

The parents of a three-year-old boy who died after contracting the flu say they hope other parents hold their children closer tonight.

Muhammed Segaff, 3, died on May 26 after his health rapidly declined — he is WA’s youngest flu death this year.

“I never cried so much in my life,” father Segaff Sinin told 7NEWS.

“We didn’t want to take off the life support but doctors said there was too much brain damage.

“Please get the vaccination.”

Doctors and the WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson have praised the emotional parents after they put aside their grief and urged others to get vaccinated.

“Terrible, terrible experience for the family and I want to congratulate and thank them for coming out publically and encouraging other families,” Ms Sanderson said. General practitioners are hoping the warning may lift the States lagging flu immunisation rates.

Fewer than 14 per cent of kids under five have been vaccinated against the flu.

For children aged five to 15, only just over 8 per cent have had the jab, despite 5 to 9-year-olds recording the most flu infections.

Perth Children’s Hospital Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr Chris Blyth urged people to get vaccinated quickly.

“Vaccinating now will provide protection in a week or two’s time,” Dr Blyth said.

“There is no live virus in an influenza vaccine. Some people may get a sore arm, some body aches and a small portion may get a temperature but they don’t get the flu.

“Your chances of being hospitalised reduce by over half.”

There has been a 12 per cent increase in hospitalisations - the bulk of them children under 10 years old - from the flu in the last week.

Ten per cent of children admitted to the hospital with influenza need intensive care.

Dr Blyth said it can be difficult to judge whether your child needs to be taken to the hospital with the flu.

“Fast breathing and breathlessness is a worrying sign and in children, it can affect the brain,” he said.

“So confusion or drowsiness is another important sign. Both of those things would make me want to seek medical advice.”

Muhammed Segaff was a previously happy and healthy toddler.

The three-year-old suffered from what started as wheezing, however, he rapidly deteriorated and went into cardiac arrest at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

The three-year-old was then rushed into open-heart surgery at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

Doctors and nurses fought desperately to save the toddler, using a machine to keep his blood pumping as he was transferred to the Perth Children’s Hospital.

However, Muhammed could not be saved, and his parents had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn his life support off on May 26.