Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Cold and Flu

Maine sees first child flu death of season

By Madeline Farber Fox News
Published
close
Doctors urge patients to get their flu shots now Video

Doctors urge patients to get their flu shots now

The flu season normally starts towards the end of the fall, but seasonal influenza is reportedly starting much earlier this year. Fox News’ Dr. Manny Alvarez sits down with a Harvard Medical School doctor to discuss everything you need to know about this year’s flu season.

Maine health officials this week announced the first pediatric flu death in the state for the 2019-2020 season.

The child, who was not identified, was younger than 5 years old and lived in southern Maine. He or she tested positive for influenza B, a strain of the flu that emerged early this flu season and has largely affected children. The child was not vaccinated against the virus.

FLU CLAIMS LIFE OF PENNSYLVANIA 2ND GRADER: 'HEAVEN GAINED AN ANGEL,' MOM SAYS 

“We express our deep condolences to the family for their loss,” Nirav D. Shah, the director of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a statement. 

The news comes after a 7-year-old Pennsylvania boy died of the flu earlier this week. Matthew Wzorek — nicknamed “Smiley” for his infectious grin — was a second-grader at Worrall Elementary School in Broomall, Pa. He died Sunday after battling the flu, his mother, Rebecca Horowitz Wzorek, wrote in a Facebook post.

FLU SUSPECTED IN DEATH OF TEXAS TEEN: 'IT HAPPENED SO FAST'

As of Feb. 8, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 92 pediatric flu-related deaths in the U.S. The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older receive the flu vaccine each season, and those at risk of serious flu complications should seek immediate medical attention if suspected symptoms develop.