Unvaccinated kids hit hard with flu as pediatric deaths rise to 52
NBC News • • health
Key Points:
- The CDC reports 52 pediatric flu deaths this season, with 90% of those children unvaccinated, indicating a potential surpassing of last season's record-high child flu fatalities.
- Flu activity has increased recently, with over 20 million cases, 270,000 hospitalizations, and 11,000 deaths estimated this season, showing a typical pattern of two flu waves as different strains circulate.
- Hospitalization rates for children with the flu are the highest in 15 years, and emergency visits for flu among kids aged 5 to 17 have risen, coinciding with a significant decline in flu vaccination rates among children.
- As of mid-January, only 45.1% of children aged 6 months
