Flu Kills 2 More NYC Kids As Virus' Onslaught Continues

NEW YORK, NY — The flu killed two more New York City children in recent days as a nationwide outbreak worsened, the city Department of Health said Monday. Health officials confirmed the city's fourth pediatric flu death Monday after confirming the third late last week, health department spokesman Julien Martinez said.

A 5-year-old girl from Brownsville, Brooklyn was the most recent victim, CBS New York reported Sunday. She was found unconscious in her family's apartment Saturday before being pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital, according to CBS.

"It’s scary because it’s a reality now," Nelson Martis, a neighbor of the girl's family, told CBS New York. "You can read it in the news, but when it’s at your door, it’s a reality."

Another child died of the flu on Friday, CBS reported. Last week started with the Feb. 5 death of 8-year-0ld Amely Baez, who was found dead in her Forest Hills, Queens apartment just days after being diagnosed with the virus, according to the NYPD.

The Department of Health has declined to confirm any information about the children who have died, citing privacy concerns.

The flu has killed 63 children nationwide so far this flu season as of Feb. 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three had died in New York State as of that date, according to state health figures.

Six children died in New York City during last year's flu season, health officials have said. Most kids who die from the virus did not get the flu vaccine, city Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said last week.

The virus has continued to spread across New York during what the CDC has called the most active flu season since 2009's swine flu outbreak. The state Department of Health recorded more than 15,000 cases in the week ending Feb. 3, bringing the total number reported since October to 52,260.

Health officials have urged New Yorkers to get the flu vaccine to staunch the spread of the virus. The flu shot is only about 30 percent effective against the H3N2 strain, which is most prevalent this year, Bassett has said. But it still reduces your chance of getting the flu by at least a third, officials say.

"What is zero percent protection is not getting a vaccine," Bassett said during a news conference last week.

Here's a map showing where you can get a flu shot if you still need one.

(Lead image: A nurse in Atlanta prepares a flu shot on Feb. 7. Photo by David Goldman/Associated Press)