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1h ago

Virginia Reports First Child Flu Death During Brief National Lull in Severe H3N2 Season

Officials caution against complacency, citing a drifted H3N2 variant alongside low vaccination.

Flu virus. Illustration showing an influenza (flu) virus with surface glycoprotein spikes hemagglutinin (HA, trimer, red) and neuraminidase (NA, tetramer, purple). The glycan components of the hemagglutinin spikes are green. Hemagglutinin takes part in attachment of a virus to human respiratory cells and neuraminidase participates in a release of virus from a cell.
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FILE - A pharmacist gives a patient a flu shot in Miami on Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Daniel Kozin, File)
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Overview

  • Virginia health officials confirmed a preschool‑age child from the state’s Eastern Region died of influenza complications, the first pediatric flu death there this season.
  • CDC estimates to date are roughly 18 million illnesses, 230,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths nationwide, including at least 32 pediatric deaths with most known cases not fully vaccinated.
  • Key flu indicators fell for a second week through Jan. 10 with lower hospitalizations and outpatient visits, yet activity remains elevated with 14 states at very high and 20 at high levels.
  • About 90% of analyzed H3N2 infections involve a drifted subclade K not matched to the vaccine strain, though vaccination still reduces severe outcomes and early antivirals are advised for those at risk.
  • States continue to report severe outcomes, including a fifth pediatric death in Massachusetts and a second in Colorado, prompting renewed calls for vaccination and basic prevention measures.