COLUMBUS – Ohio continues to be one of several states struggling with an outbreak of the flu.
There were 925 new flu-associated hospitalizations during the final week of December, up from 554 the week before and significantly higher than the 157 reported at the same time last year, according to a regular update from the Ohio Department of Health.
There are currently 2,104 flu-associated hospitalizations for the 2017-18 flu season, compared to 369 at the same time a year ago, the agency reported.
Ohio has not reported any flu-associated pediatric deaths so far for the season. Adult flu-associated deaths are not required to be reported to public health agencies.
The state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that everyone six months and older get a flu shot as soon as possible.
Vaccination is the best protection against seasonable flu viruses, the agencies say.