CINCINNATI — Local doctors are encouraging parents to get their flu shot, and schedule their child's shot, after the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) announced the state's first pediatric flu-associated death this flu season.
ODH said Friday an Allen County teenager under the age of 18 died from flu-related causes.
"Sadly, this tragic death reminds us that influenza, though common, is a serious health threat," ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff said in a release. "We urge parents to protect their kids."
Flu activity typically peaks sometime between December and February, but ODH is reporting that current activity remains "very high." Hospitalizations this flu season have also been "well above" the five-year average for this time in the season, ODH said.
Learn what doctors are telling parents below:
Since the start of this flu season, Ohio has seen more than 9,000 flu-related hospitalizations. Hamilton County has had the second-highest number of hospitalizations in the state, with 539. Many of those have been children.
"If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccine this year, get your flu vaccine," said Dr. Chris Peltier, a pediatrician at Pediatrics Associates of Mt. Carmel.
Peltier said one of the reasons we've seen more hospitalizations this flu season is due to the current strain: "(It's) more severe than ... other strains have been in past years."
He said the most common reason for hospitalizations is the development of a second infection in the lungs, causing trouble breathing. But some complications are a bit rarer.
One Northern Kentucky family took their 5-year-old son Benjamin to Cincinnati Children's after he was unable to walk after testing positive for the flu. There, doctors diagnosed him with viral myositis.
"It essentially causes inflammation that causes some breakdown of the muscles … and unfortunately the only treatment for that is really sort of aggressive IV fluid, rehydration, and time," Peltier said.
Benjamin's family told us since getting his diagnosis, he is about 90% recovered.
Peltier said if anyone in the family gets sick, remember to stay hydrated. If you think you may need to go to the hospital, he recommends calling your primary care physician first.
