Six Delawareans died from the flu during the latest influenza season, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health.
All six people who suffered suspected flu-related deaths between Oct. 1 and Jan. 20 were over the age of 55, health officials said, and only one was vaccinated against the flu. Three of the people who died were from New Castle County, two were from Sussex County and one was from Kent County, the division said.
The first suspected flu-related death of the season was recorded in December.
The state has counted a total of 3,594 flu cases this season, with 379 new cases reported in the week ending Jan. 20, the last time the data was updated. There have been 110 flu-related hospitalizations this season as of Jan. 24, according to the state.
In the 2022 flu season, only two flu-related deaths were recorded, according to health officials.
While there appears to have been an increase in flu-related deaths over the past two seasons, a state spokesperson said that because the department moved away from “voluntary death data input,” the numbers may not be comparable.