At least 13 influenza-related deaths among children were reported during the 2018-2019 season nationwide—one of which occurred in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC stated 24 states—that’s nearly half the country—were experiencing widespread flu activity.
Those states included: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.
Regional influenza activity was reported by Puerto Rico and 18 states; including Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.
“A total of 1,562 laboratory-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported between October 1, 2018 and December 29, 2018,” CDC states.
In recent years, flu-related deaths have ranged from about 12,000 to — in the worst year — 56,000, according to the CDC.
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The 1918 flu pandemic, which lasted nearly two years, killed more than 500,000 Americans, historians estimate.
