The Department of Public Health identified the girl only as a female child from Middlesex County. The news came one day after officials had confirmed the flu-related death of 12-year-old Aaron Zenus, a student at Stacy Middle School in Milford. The DPH said both children died within the past week, and the cases appear to be unrelated. Last year there was just one pediatric flu-related death in Massachusetts. Advertisement “January and February are typically the height of the flu season, and flu-related complications can result in very serious, life-threatening illness and even death, among both children and adults,” said Dr. Larry Madoff, director of epidemiology and immunization in the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences at the DPH. “These deaths are tragic and are a reminder of the dangers of flu and the importance of flu vaccination, our best protection against illness.” Madoff said the DPH “urges people to get vaccinated, to wash their hands, cover their cough and sneeze and stay home when sick to limit the spread of disease.” Though pre-existing health conditions can worsen flu-like symptoms, it wasn’t clear Friday if that had been the case in either child’s death. “The board of health has no knowledge at this time if Aaron has a pre-existing condition that may have exacerbated his symptoms,” said Paul A. Mazzuchelli, health officer in the town of Milford, in an e-mail. “Presently the school administration and nursing staff is conducting outreach to families and students. The board of health will always be on hand to assist if needed. This year the board of health held five (5) flu clinics from late September to late November. Besides the clinics, education and awareness is very important in prevention.” Advertisement Mazzuchelli added that health officials “encourage residents to get a flu shot if they haven’t already done so. Also we like to stress, if you or your child is sick, do not go to work or school because that could spread the virus. And as always sneeze into your elbows and wash your hands.” The developments on Friday followed the release of DPH data the day before showing the state is seeing an uptick in influenza cases during the current flu season compared with last year, but hospitalizations are down. The DPH tracks flu cases confirmed by lab testing as well as hospital admissions and medical reports of people suffering from “influenza-like symptoms” in order to capture the impact of the illness. Most people are treated for flu symptoms, but not formally diagnosed with it. Through Jan. 25, lab tests conducted statewide confirmed 5,693 cases, compared to 3,612 over the same time period last year, the DPH reported. Asked about the uptick, Madoff said in a phone interview that the numbers indicate “there is a lot of flu activity out there. ... This is really the normal time of year to have the flu season. We’re looking like we’re right in the middle of it.” But while the state may be seeing more flu cases this year, fewer people are being hospitalized. So far this season, 3.3 percent of emergency room visits led to hospitalization, well below the roughly 8 percent from last year, the DPH said. Advertisement Madoff said one explanation could be “the relative effectiveness of the flu vaccine,” citing preliminary studies from Canada and Hong Kong showing the vaccine has been working well. In addition, Madoff said, the flu strain that’s predominating right now is H1N1, which tends to affect young people more than the elderly. “Everyone can have serious illness related to the flu, but when it affects older people, we tend to see more hospitalizations,” Madoff said. The DPH said the CDC estimates there are between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths nationwide due to complications of flu each year. Based on those numbers, state officials estimate between 250 and 1,100 Massachusetts residents die annually from complications of influenza. Boston hospitals, meanwhile, are treating their fair share of flu patients, but the number has been manageable. “We had been seeing cases at a rate very similar to last year until 1-2 weeks ago when the rate of new cases decreased,” said Dr. Paul Biddinger, vice chairman for emergency preparedness in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a statement. Biddenger said that “definitely doesn’t mean that the flu season is over (or ending), and it doesn’t mean that the rest of the season will be better, but for now, we are getting a little bit of a reprieve from the steady stream of flu cases we’ve been seeing. Our message is that people should still get their flu shot, even now, because we have many more weeks of flu ahead of us still.” Advertisement Johanna Younghans, a spokeswoman for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said there have been fewer flu cases there compared to last year. “Our team says flu activity levels have been steady for us – they’re seeing cases since we’re in the heart of flu season, overall case counts are lower this year compared to last,” Younghans said via e-mail. Danny McDonald of Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.<doc-sep>BOSTON (CBS) — Two Massachusetts children have died from flu-related illnesses in just one week, already doubling last year’s number. The Department of Public Health confirms a 12-year-old Milford boy and a young girl from Middlesex County both died this week. The death of the Milford boy was announced Thursday. The boy’s mother told WBZ-TV he got his flu shot this year, but still got sick. He stayed home from school for multiple days until he developed a bacterial infection and was rushed to the emergency room Wednesday night, where he died. WBZ-TV’s Dr. Mallika Marshall said, “one of the most dangerous complications of the flu is bacterial pneumonia and that is what sometimes ends up landing people in the hospital and can be deadly.” The two cases appear to be unrelated “and were confirmed by the DPH’s State Public Health Laboratory,” said the DPH. For more information about the flu, visit CDC’s website. An estimated 250 to 1,100 Massachusetts residents die from flu complications annually, according to DPH. Last year, one child died from a flu-related illness in Massachusetts. The DPH still says this year’s flu vaccine is highly effective and says the public should get vaccinated. Edit: An earlier version of this story initially reported the age of the girl who died from the flu-related illness, as well as the town she may be from.<doc-sep>A second Michigan child has died from flu complications this season, the state Department of Health and Human Services confirmed this week. News of a second childhood flu death in Michigan comes as influenza activity is on the rise. Late last month, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported that it had elevated the level of flu activity in the state from regional to widespread. "What it means is that at least half of the regions of the state have laboratory evidence of influenza," said Lynn Sutfin, a spokeswoman for the MDHHS. "So, prior to this week, we were seeing it in the most populous areas, you know, the southeast Michigan area and the southwest. "Now we are starting to see the flu show up in some of our more rural areas, northern Michigan, central Michigan." Healthy children are at risk The school-age child who died was from Alpena County, said Dr. Joshua Meyerson, medical director for District No. 4 Health Department, which includes Alpena, Montmorency, Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties. "It's very sad," Meyerson said, noting that the child had a confirmed case of influenza A. "It is a reminder that influenza comes around every year, and every year we see healthy children and others who die from the flu. This is the second one reported in the state so far this season. We'll have to continue to monitor that and hopefully we won't see any more or too many more." The first flu-related pediatric death in a Michigan child this season was reported in mid-December. That child was from Osceola County and had contracted influenza A/H1N1. More:Henry Ford Health restricts visitors to limit the spread of flu More:1st Michigan child dies from flu this season Some metro Detroit hospitals are now restricting visitors to limit transmission of the virus. The Detroit Medical Center no longer allows visits from children under the age of 12 in the inpatient and observation rooms at any of its locations, which include: Children's Hospital of Michigan locations in Troy and Detroit Detroit Receiving Hospital in Detroit Harper University Hospital in Detroit DMC Heart Hospital in Detroit Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township Hutzel Women's Hospital in Detroit The Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan in Detroit Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit More on Freep.com: Flu cases surge: Here's what you need to know to stay healthy An allergy to the cold weather is a real thing — and it can be deadly Only two visitors will be allowed to visit patients at any time in DMC facilities, and anyone with a sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, fever, cough, sneezing or chills will not be allowed to visit patients. The Henry Ford Health System also announced this week that it is now temporarily limiting visitors because of the flu. Those who have flu-like symptoms will have to wear a mask when visiting patients. It also will not allow children 12 years old and younger to visit patients at the following hospitals: Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital Henry Ford Kingswood Hospital in Royal Oak Township Last year's flu was deadly According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last year’s flu season was the deadliest since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. More than 79,000 deaths were attributed to the flu in the 2017-18 season, 185 of whom were children. Getting vaccinated, Myerson and Sutfin said, is among the best ways to protect from the flu. "Right now we're seeing quite a few cases of H1N1 and the H3N2, which are both in the current vaccine," Sutfin said. "Unfortunately, we know that the vaccines are manufactured earlier in the year, and the strains can change a little bit. It is not always a perfect match. However, the flu vaccine is the best thing we have to protect ourselves from influenza. "We are urging folks to still get vaccinated. It's not too late. We still have a lot of flu season left. The season can run until April." Everyone age 6 months and older should get vaccinated, Sutfin said. Last year, 39.5 percent of Michiganders reported receiving a flu shot, below the national rate of 41.7 percent. Other ways to protect yourself from the flu is to practice hand washing, stay away from others who are sick, and stay home if you do start to feel ill. "If you are not feeling well, stay home," Sutfin said. "Don't go out. Don't be a hero. Don't go to work. Don't go to school. Stay home and take care of yourself. Not only will you feel better, but you won't be spreading the illness." Myerson said the flu distinguishes itself from a typical cold because it is more severe, often accompanied by fever, aches and general malaise. "You really don't feel well as opposed to when it's just a cold where you have nasal congestion, and you're stuffy, but you don't necessarily feel that bad," he said. Most people, Meyerson said, can manage flu symptoms at home with rest, drinking plenty of fluids and taking over-the-counter medicine like acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. "But if they are having difficulty breathing or if they have high-risk medical conditions where they are really concerned about complications with the flu because they have underlying heart or lung disease or other problems with their immune system, then they can contact their physician about being seen because they might benefit from antiviral medication if it's administered early on," he said. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kristenshamus.<doc-sep>
A 4-year-old child from Framingham died from a flu-related illness on Sunday, days before a Milford middle schooler died from flu complications. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed news of the fatality, which was first reported by WCVB. Health officials do not believe the cases were related. Milford school officials announced on Thursday that a 12-year-old student had died from the flu. No other children have died from the illness this year, health officials said. There was a single pediatric death related to the flu last year, according to the Department of Public Health. “January and February are typically the height of the flu season, and flu-related complications can result in very serious, life-threatening illness and even death, among both children and adults," Dr. Larry Madoff, Director of Epidemiology and Immunization in the Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said in a statement. "These deaths are tragic and are a reminder of the dangers of flu and the importance of flu vaccination, our best protection against illness. The Department of Public Health urges people to get vaccinated, to wash their hands, cover their cough and sneeze and stay home when sick to limit the spread of disease.” Elderly populations are most vulnerable to the flu and account for between 70 and 90 percent of flu deaths, according to the CDC. Massachusetts health officials estimate that between 250 and 1,100 state residents die each year from flu complications. As of last week, 24 pediatric flu deaths had been reported to the CDC nationwide this season. That figure does not include the two Massachusetts deaths and others that occurred this week.