Mass. reports first flu-related child death of season

Massachusetts health officials have reported the state’s first flu-related death of a child this season, underscoring the severity of an influenza outbreak that continues to surge across the state and nation.

The child died during the week ending Dec. 27, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. No further details about the child’s age, community, or underlying health conditions were released.

Two flu-related adult deaths were also reported during that week, and 20 adult deaths were reported between Dec. 7 and Dec. 20, marking a sharp increase over previous weeks, according to DPH’s influenza dashboard.

The child’s death comes as seasonal influenza activity remains high statewide, with DPH reporting elevated levels of flu activity and hospitalizations compared with typical early-season levels.

There were 470 flu-related deaths in Massachusetts during the 2024-25 flu season, up from 251 in 2023-24, according to DPH.

State officials have been urging people to be vaccinated for influenza. In November, the state’s public health commissioner, Robbie Goldstein, said officials expected “rising flu activity and the potential for a significant surge” this season.

“Getting vaccinated will reduce the burden of this easily transmitted and potentially dangerous respiratory disease across the state,” Goldstein said.

Vaccination rates for the flu in Massachusetts are down, according to DPH data. About 34 percent of Massachusetts residents have been vaccinated this season, down from about 36 percent last year at this time. That continues a decline since the 2020-21 season, when 43.5 percent of residents were vaccinated at this point, according to the data.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends early antiviral treatment for patients with confirmed or suspected influenza.

Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and weak immune systems, health officials say.

Nationwide, influenza activity has been climbing for several weeks, according to the CDC, and state health officials classify flu activity in Massachusetts as “very high” for this time of year. The most common influenza strain in the state is “Seasonal type A,” according to DPH.

Last week, the CDC reported high or very high levels of illness in more than half the states.

There have been nine reported influenza-related pediatric deaths this year nationally, according to the CDC. The health agency estimates that there have been at least 11,000,000 illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths from the flu so far this season.

The surge in flu has been driven in part by a new variant of the virus, known as “subclade K,” which led to early outbreaks in the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada.

This year’s vaccine isn’t a perfect match to the subclade K strain, a preliminary analysis from the U.K. found it offered at least partial protection, lowering people’s risk of hospitalization.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected].