8th child dies, 298 adults also killed

The state’s Department of Public Health didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. In January, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, the state’s public health commissioner, said in a statement, “This is a moment for clarity, urgency, and action. These viruses are serious, dangerous, and life-threatening. We are seeing children who are seriously ill, families grieving devastating losses, and hospitals under capacity strain.”

Earlier this year, public health experts said the high number of flu cases was driven by the type of flu that was spreading. One type of flu virus, called A H3N2, historically has caused the most hospitalizations and deaths in older people. As of early January, it was the type most frequently reported. Even more concerning, more than 90% of the H3N2 infections analyzed were a new version — known as the subclade K variant — that differs from the strain in this year’s flu shots.

The high numbers of influenza cases come one year after a brutal flu season, with the overall flu hospitalization rate the highest since the H1N1 flu pandemic 15 years ago. Child flu deaths reached 288, the worst recorded for a regular US flu season.

This year’s flu season is also occurring as the federal government has dialed back its vaccine recommendations, saying it will no longer recommend flu vaccinations for US children.

Ten children died of the flu in Massachusetts last season, when the state recorded 470 total influenza deaths. That marked a sharp increase from the previous two seasons, when 251 and 235 deaths were reported, respectively, according to the dashboard.

Experts have urged residents to get their flu shot, which can reduce the risk of influenza and its potentially serious complications. In the January statement, Goldstein called vaccination a simple and effective way to address concerns about the virus.

“If you have not yet been vaccinated against flu or COVID-19 this season, now is the time,” Goldstein said. “It is not too late. Choosing vaccination is choosing to protect yourself, your family, your friends, your colleagues, and your community.”

Lila Hempel-Edgers can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @hempeledgers and on Instagram @lila_hempel_edgers.