Photo

Registered nurse Charlene Luxcin administers a flu shot to a patient at the Whittier Street Health Center in Boston, Mass., Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Regular Photo Size

Healthy Living

11 tons of beef recalled

The recall is categorized by the FSIS as "Class I": a health …

The dangers of too many vitamins

Studies have shown that vitamins have been linked to disease …

Can Facebook organ donor success stick?

On the first day of the initiative, there were 13,012 new …

Alternative healing or quackery?

Dr. Paul Offit says some alternative therapists promote …

Skin: Battling the 'Over the Hill' myth

Do you remember that whole line of “Over the Hill” birthday …

Risk to all ages: 100 kids die of flu each year

It's not clear that will happen this year

Updated: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013, 3:24 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 15 Jan 2013, 3:24 PM EST

MIKE STOBBE,AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Twenty flu-related deaths have been reported in children so far this winter — one of the worst tolls this early in the year since health officials began keeping track.

Still, experts say that doesn't mean this year will turn out to be unusually deadly. Roughly 100 children die in an average flu season, and it's not clear that will happen this year.

The deaths have included a 6-year-old girl in Maine, a 15-year-old Michigan boy who loved robotics and a tall high school senior from Texas who got sick in Wisconsin while visiting his grandparents for the holidays.

On average, an estimated 24,000 Americans die each flu season. Elderly people with chronic health conditions are at greatest risk.

Comments

With WIVB.com's new commenting system you don't need to register. You can login with an existing Facebook, Yahoo!, Google, or Twitter account and more. If you have a WIVB.com login you can still use it in our Participate section.