Two Virginia children die from flu, first pediatric deaths of the season
Flu claims two young lives in Virginia amid low vaccination rates
The Virginia Department of Health reports two children have died from the flu, marking the first pediatric flu deaths of the winter season. FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal has the story.
The Virginia Department of Health reported Monday that two children have died because of the flu.
First pediatric deaths of flu season
The backstory:
They are the first two influenza-associated pediatric deaths of the 2024-2025 flu season, officials said.
"With a heavy heart, the Virginia Department of Health mourns the loss of two young lives. Our sympathies go out to the families during this difficult time," State Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Shelton said in a statement.
"These losses are a sad reminder that while flu is common, it can be associated with serious illness and even death."
Health Department officials said that one of the deaths occurred in Virginia’s Eastern Region and involved a young school-aged child, meaning 5 -12 years old.
They said the other death occurred in the Central Region of Virginia and involved a teenager.
Low flu vaccination rates in Virginia
What they're saying:
Officials also pointed out that vaccination coverage remains low in the Commonwealth for both children and adults, adding that only 30 percent of eligible Virginians reported receiving a flu vaccine this season.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said the low vaccination rate was not a surprise.
"We know nationally that rates of vaccination for influenza and other vaccines have all fallen off post-Covid, that people have become vaccine hesitant, that they’ve become complacent, and we know that when it comes to pediatric influenza deaths, one of the predictors is being unvaccinated," Adalja told FOX 5. "So, when we see children die from influenza, often they are unvaccinated."
It is unclear whether that was the case with the two recent Virginia deaths.
Still, state officials are urging Virginians to get vaccinated, wash their hands, cover up coughs and sneezes, and stay home when they feel sick.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Virginia Department of Health.