COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) -- Ohio has recorded its first pediatric flu death of the season, a 4-year old boy from the Dayton area.
His name and other details haven't been made public yet.
The Ohio Department of Health also reports 1750 new confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations in Ohio during the first week of January. That compares to just over 900 reported during the last week of December.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, influenza A or the H3N2 viruses, have been the most common circulating this season.
That strain has been associated with more severe illness, especially among children and adults age 65 and older.
“Flu is difficult to predict,” said Dr. Clint Koenig, Medical Director at the Ohio Department of Health.
“It’s not possible to say precisely when this flu season will peak or end or how severe it will be. That’s why getting the flu vaccination is the safest and most effective way to prevent the flu for everyone 6 months and older. Flu vaccination also can reduce the severity of illness if you do get sick,” he said.
(Photo courtesy Getty Images)