Flu Kills Child In NYC, Official Says

NEW YORK CITY, NY — The flu season has already claimed the life of a child in New York City, the city's top health official said Thursday. The child was younger than 18 and succumbed to the flu within the past two weeks, said Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the acting health commissioner.

No other details were released by Barbot, who cited patient confidentiality concerns.

"While pediatric deaths from the flu are not unusual, they are sad reminders of the consequences of not getting immunized," Barbot said at a news conference about flu vaccinations.

Flu activity in the city has been low so far, with the virus accounting for 2 percent of all hospital visits, Barbot said. That activity is expected to increase as the season proceeds, she said. Some 39 people were hospitalized with the flu in the week ending Oct. 13, an 8 percent increase over the prior week, according to the state Department of Health.

The city saw five pediatric deaths in the last flu season, which was one of the worst in recent years, Barbot said. The virus killed a record-high 183 kids nationally in the 2017-18 season, about 80 percent of whom hadn't gotten the flu vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The child's death in New York City may be the second in the nation this flu season. A kid in Florida who had not been vaccinated died from the virus between Sept. 30 and Oct. 6, The New York Times reported last week.

Up to eight children die because of the flu each year, Barbot said, and it's not uncommon for the virus to afflict "perfectly healthy" kids.

"One of the things that I think this reminds us of is to not underestimate the way in which flu can affect individuals," Barbot said.

Anyone who is at least 6 months old should get the flu vaccine, Barbot said. New Yorkers can find a place to get a shot on this map.

(Lead image: Syringes filled with the flu vaccine are seen in California in November 2014. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)