2 children in the Portland area die from the flu

According to state records, two children in the Portland region passed away from influenza in December, marking the first such deaths this season.

The Oregon Health Authority’s weekly influenza report states that both youngsters became ill and passed away in the week ending December 28. According to their aunt, the two kids lived in Portland and were siblings.

Last winter, no children in Oregon lost their lives. According to data from the Oregon Health Authority, three children died during the previous flu season and none during the 2021–2022 and 2020–2021 seasons. The 2019–2020 season saw the deaths of four youngsters.

In Oregon, flu-related deaths usually range from zero to five per season, according to an email from health officials.

The Oregon Health Authority refused to disclose information about the children, such as whether they had received a flu vaccination or were immunocompromised.

About 474 individuals have been hospitalized in the Portland region so far this season due to the flu, compared to 134 admissions at the same time last year.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu killed at least 205 children in the United States during the most recent flu season.

By late December, flu shots in Oregon were 10% fewer than in late December 2022 and down 4% from the same period in 2023, according to state data.

Considering that there were more than 1,100 cases of pertussis in 2024—the most in a single year since 1950, when Oregon recorded 1,420 cases—the Oregon Health Authority advised people to also get vaccinated against this respiratory infection.

Correction: The two flu deaths occurred in Oregon, but the location was not specified in the data provided by the Oregon Health Authority.

Fedor Zarkhin is an enterprise and breaking news reporter. Have you got a story? Contact him by email at [email protected] or by phone at 971-373-2905.

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