Pierce County Reports First Flu Death In Nearly 2 Years

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has reported the county's first flu-related death in nearly two years. According to the department, the victim, a woman in her 70s, had "many underlying health conditions" and died from the flu in late January.

Influenza has been on the rise across Washington, but activity remains low in Pierce County. The news of Pierce County's flu death comes just a week after the state of Washington reported its first flu deaths of the season: three seniors, all aged 65 or older, tested positive for influenza A and later died from related complications, marking the first instance of multiple flu deaths reported since the 2019-2020 flu season.

During that flu season, officials said Washington recorded 114 deaths, with three dozen confirmed by this point in the year. By comparison, flu activity during the 2020-2021 flu season ranks among the lowest on record, despite high rates of testing, which officials credit to measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Before that, the 2017–2018 flu season was the most severe in many years. TPCHD says, during that season, as many as 61,000 people died from the flu across the United States, with 31 deaths in Pierce County.

The omicron wave of COVID-19 is starting to subside, but hospitalization rates remain dangerously high across much of Washington. As a result, health officials continue to encourage residents to seek out both COVID-19 and flu vaccines to help guard against serious infection or becoming ill with both at the same time.

"Everyone 6 months or older should get a flu shot every year," writes TPCHD Communicable Disease Division Director Nigel Turner. "It can stop you from getting the flu. If you do get sick, your illness will be milder and shorter. And it protects you and those around you all season."

According to state health officials, flu activity often peaks between December and February, but they caution no two seasons are the same and activity can linger as late as May. Residents can check flu activity reports and learn more about getting a flu vaccine on the DOH website. More local flu information can be found on the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department's website.

Patch Editor Lucas Combos contributed to this report.