More than 470 people have been hospitalized with the flu this season in Oregon, and two children have died. (Christine Torres Hicks/OHSU)
Two children died of the flu in Oregon over Christmas week, the first such pediatric deaths in the state in two years, according to state health officials.
They’re among 11 deaths of children from the flu nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every year, the flu kills hundreds of people in Oregon, with the CDC showing 370 deaths in the state 2022, the latest year available. But pediatric deaths are relatively rare, said Dr. Paul Cieslak, head of infectious diseases and vaccinations at the Oregon Health Authority.
No children in Oregon died from the flu last year or in the 2021-22 and 2020-21 seasons, but three died during 2022-23 and four died during the 2019-20 season, state data shows.
The last flu season was particularly deadly for children across the country, with 200 dying from the flu, marking a new high from 2019-20 when 199 children died, the CDC said.