INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health reported the state's first pediatric flu death. It comes as more than 24 people have died from influenza in Indiana this season.
Health and hospital officials are urging people to get vaccinated against influenza.
“With the upcoming holidays, travel and family gatherings, it is more important than ever to protect yourself and those around you from this highly contagious respiratory infection," said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG.
Box said this year's vaccine is a good match for the current strains and is the best protection to try and prevent serious symptoms.
The health department also noted that hospitals have significant case loads right now from RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.
“Hospitalizations are currently trending above last year’s levels, and at this pace, Indiana could meet or exceed the record levels of inpatient capacity we saw during the peak of COVID-19,” said Brian Tabor, president of the Indiana Hospital Association.
In November, Riley Hospital for Children reported 354 positive influenza A tests that were done in the emergency room and inpatient. This month, the hospital has already seen 239 as of Sunday.
“The emergency room is packed with patients being seen for influenza on a day-to-day basis and it’s breaking records,” said Dr. John Christenson, associate medical director for infection prevention at Riley Hospital for Children.
Christenson said children are catching influenza at a higher rate, but more adults are being hospitalized or dying.
“The pediatric population is driving this epidemic right now of influenza,” he said. “The problem is that when you look at that data, kids are the ones getting infected but the people who are dying are over 60.”
With the holidays just a couple of weeks away, health leaders say now is the time to get vaccinated.
“People are looking towards Christmas and visiting their family, this is the time to get the vaccine because it takes a couple of weeks for you to build immunity,” Christenson said.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop.
Common signs and symptoms of the flu include:
- Fever of 100° Fahrenheit or greater
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
Some ways to help prevent the spread of the flu include:
- Clean: Properly wash your hands frequently with warm, soapy water.
- Cover: Cover your cough, and sneeze with your arm or a disposable tissue.
- Contain: Stay home from school or work when you are sick to keep your germs from spreading.
For more information on influenza, click here.