More than a dozen children across New York and New Jersey have died from the flu this winter, according to officials.
In New York State, 11 children have died from the illness since the start of the season. Officials did not provide any details or ages.
According to the latest data from the New York State Health Department, the flu has been rampant in the city and beyond for more than three months this season, compared with just two months last year. By this time in 2023, the spread of the sickness, which also peaked earlier last year, had already started to wane.
During the week starting Feb. 17, nearly 20,800 cases were reported — among them more than 1,000 requiring hospitalization — marking a 7% decrease from the week prior. The figure is also significantly higher than the one from around the same time last year, when 2,472 cases and 185 hospitalizations were recorded.
, According to the latest data from the New York State Department of Health, the flu has been rampant in the city and beyond for more than three months this season, compared to just two months last year. (Shutterstock)This flu season has seen nearly 600 outbreaks at New York hospitals and nursing homes, 30 of which were reported last week.
In New Jersey, two children, described as between the ages of of 5 and 17, have died, according to the most recent data. Officials noted one of the children also suffered from an underlying medical condition.
So far, nearly 60,000 cases have been reported across the Garden State during the 2023-24 flu season.
Officials in both states have urged residents who have not gotten their flu shots to do so. Symptoms for the illness include fever and chills, sore throat and cough, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache, fatigue and sometimes vomiting or diarrhea.
