North Carolina has recorded its first pediatric flu death of the 2019-20 flu season, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday.
The child in the western part of the state died from complications associated with influenza in December, NCDHHS said. For privacy, no further information about the child was released.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 27 pediatric flu deaths have been reported this season in all other states as of Jan. 4.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to this child's family," said State Epidemiologist Zack Moore in a statement. "These personal losses are also a reminder for all of us that flu can be a serious illness. We want to encourage people to protect themselves and others by getting their annual flu shot."
Twenty adult flu-associated deaths in North Carolina have been reported this season, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, with 14 of those being people 65 years or older.
An average estimate of 37,875 people nationwide have died from the flu annually since 2010, the CDC reports, with children younger than 5, pregnant women, adults older than 65 and those with chronic medical conditions being more at risk.
This week, Atrium Health announced that it was restricting hospital access for visitors 12 years old and younger for its Charlotte area in-patient hospitals in response to the prevalance of flu cases in the region.
