More than 300 children and young adults had been hospitalized with flu since September 2017, CDC reports
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday warned about a rising flu outbreak, saying more than 300 children and young adults had been hospitalized with flu since September 2017.
All but four children and three young adults who were hospitalized were under five, according to the CDC. The youngest was a six-week-old baby who had suffered multiple flu-related complications.
Separately, eight people died from influenza from October through November last year in California, according to the state public health department.
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They included a 15-year-old girl who tested positive for the H3N2 strain of flu – known to strike children particularly hard – and an 18-year-old man, who also suffered from respiratory illness caused by the H3N2 subtype.
The CDC is recommending that everyone six months or older get vaccinated against flu.
There is no cure for flu and it can be deadly. Symptoms in young children usually include high fever, vomiting and diarrhea. In adults, the symptoms can include sore throat, coughing, fever, headache, body aches, fatigue and chills. Most people recover within two weeks.