27 Under Age Of 65 Die From Flu In California: Report

CALIFORNIA -- The number of people under the age of 65 who have died from the flu in California increased this week. The latest death toll stands at 27 people, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The unusually high number comes as reports indicate this year's flu vaccine is only 10 percent effective.

The unexpected rise in flu cases is affecting hospitals, the Times reported.

"The emergency room at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica typically treats about 140 patients a day, but at least one day this week had more than 200 patients — mostly because of the flu, said the ER’s medical director, Dr. Wally Ghurabi," the Times wrote.

The A(H3N2) virus dominated in Australia and the preliminary estimate of vaccine effectiveness against the strain was only 10 percent, the New England Journal of Medicine said earlier this year.

"The implications for the Northern Hemisphere are not clear, but it is of note that the vaccine for this upcoming season has the same composition as that used in the Southern Hemisphere," the New England Journal of Medicine wrote.

The number of deaths recorded by the state government does not include those older the age of 65, which is not required to be reported.

--Patch National Reporter Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report/Photo via Shutterstock

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