Texas health officials late last week reported the first pediatric flu death of the 2019-2020 season
The child, who was not identified, was a 5-year-old from the Rio Grande area, according to a Friday tweet from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). He or she had not been vaccinated against the virus, officials said.
No other information on the death was provided.
In its flu activity report released on Friday, the Texas DSHS said flu activity in the state “continues to rise and is at an above-average level.” The agency warned that young children — particularly those 6 months to 5 years of age — are especially vulnerable to the virus as well as “serious flu-related complications, including death.”
The news comes after Connecticut health officials last week confirmed two flu-related deaths in two adults over the age of 65. The fatalities marked the state’s first of this year’s flu season.
