DAYTON – Health officials now say two boys from Ohio have died from the flu in what is shaping up to be one of the most severe flu seasons in recent years.
Ohio’s Department of Health said Wednesday that a 1-year-old from Lucas County has died. Earlier Wednesday, state health officials said a 4-year-old boy from Montgomery County died.
Montgomery County’s coroner’s office says 4-year-old Jonah Rieben, of Clayton, died Jan. 6. Lucas County’s health commissioner says the 1-year-old died Monday. No other details were released.
The deaths are the first reported by the state since flu season started in October. Last year, seven children died as a result of the flu in Ohio.
In Ohio, adult deaths believed to be associated with the flu aren’t required to be reported to public health agencies.
The state has seen over 3,800 flu-associated hospitalizations this season, 1,750 of them confirmed during the first week of January, a significant increase over 925 reported during the last week of December, according to the department’s most recent update.
With the flu season in Ohio stretching until May, authorities are encouraging Ohioans to get their flu vaccination, despite reports that this year the flu shot has been less effective than in many other years.
The vaccination prevents illnesses and, while the flu vaccine can vary in how well it works, people who still get sick may have milder symptoms, said department medical director Dr. Clint Koenig. He says a study also done on flu vaccination said that it can significantly reduce a child’s risk of dying from influenza.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says reports of the flu are now widespread in 46 states.
The most common flu viruses circulating this season have been influenza A, or the H3N2 viruses, according to the CDC. Seasons in which the H3N2 virus have been predominant have been associated with more severe illness, especially among children and adults age 65 and older, Koenig said.
The current flu vaccine has been about 30 percent effective against H3N2, about 60 percent against H1N1 viruses and around 50 percent for influenza B viruses, Koenig said.
Other effective ways to avoid getting or spreading the flu include: washing hands frequently or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer; covering coughs and sneezes with tissues, or coughing or sneezing into elbows; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and staying home when sick.