Maine reports first death of a child from flu
By Adam Bartow
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AUGUSTA, Maine (WMTW) — For the first time this season, a child in Maine has died of the flu.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced the death around noon on Thursday but did not say where the child was from or how old they were. The child tested positive for influenza A.
The flu is spreading rapidly across Maine. On Tuesday, the state reported 74 flu outbreaks and 133 hospitalizations as a result of the flu over the prior week in Maine.
The CDC says flu causes a fever over 100 degrees and a cough or sore throat. People may also experience a runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and tiredness. Most people with flu have mild illness. However, certain people are at high risk for more serious illness including children, people 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions.
The best protection from severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death is to get the flu vaccine. The CDC says early data suggest that this year’s flu vaccine is a good match for the virus circulating in the U.S.
Maine CDC recommends vaccination for everyone ages 6 months and older. This includes people at high risk of serious flu complications. The flu vaccine is provided at no cost by the state of Maine for all children under 19 years of age.
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