SEATTLE — Two children have died from complications from the flu in King County last month.
For reference, King County has not had a pediatric flu death since the 2022-23 flu season.
The first child was an elementary-aged child who died on Feb. 14, and the second child, who was preschool-aged, died on Feb 21. The two cases are unrelated.
The King County Department of Health said it has seen rapidly increasing flu activity since the fall of 2024.
“This is a tragic loss, and we send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of both children,” said Dr. Eric Chow, Chief of Communicable Disease and Interim Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “This is a particularly high severity flu season, locally and nationally. If you’re not already vaccinated, it’s not too late to get your flu shot. Immunization provides important protection against severe complications which could mean the difference between being hospitalized or having mild illness at home.”
Anyone is at risk for flu, but some groups are at greater risk for severe complications. This includes very young children, older adults, people with underlying health conditions, and pregnant people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified this flu season as “high severity” for all age groups, a designation it has not made since the 2017-18 flu season.
In this flu season to-date, 63 flu-related deaths in King County residents have been reported. It may be an under-reported number.
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