State officials with the Kentucky Department for Public Health announced Tuesday that a Kenton County child has died from influenza.
“Team Kentucky is deeply saddened by the loss of a child to influenza,” said Dr. Steven Stack, Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. “This is a heartbreaking reminder that the flu is not always a mild illness, especially for young children and people with high-risk medical conditions.”
According to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, flu activity is increasing across Kentucky, particularly among children. The Department for Public Health reports that emergency department visits and hospitalizations for flu among children under the age of five are higher than they were at this time last year.
State officials say the child had not received this season’s flu vaccine.
The Kentucky Department for Public Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that everyone six months of age and older receive annual flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Those at higher risk include young children, adults over 65, people who are pregnant, immunocompromised, or who have underlying conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or lung disease.
“We share this information not to alarm families, but to encourage simple actions that help keep our communities, including our children, healthy,” said Dr. Langefeld.
