Kentucky health officials announced two additional children have died from influenza. That brings the number of deaths this flu season to three.
One child from Barren River District and one child from Jefferson County have died.
In a statement, Dr. Steven Stack, Commissioner of the Department for Public Health, said “It is important for Kentuckians to take necessary precautions, such as staying up to date on vaccinations, washing hands regularly with soap and water, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described this flu season as the worst in over 15 years. Health officials say it is not too late to get vaccinated as flu season extends through April.
This flu season there have been two co-dominant subtypes of influenza A circulating, H1 and H3. Health officials encourage those who have already had the flu this season to still get vaccinated to prevent an infection with a different subtype of influenza.
Respiratory illness data in Kentucky can be found at CoverYourCough.ky.gov
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