The Virginia Department of Health on Thursday announced the state’s first influenza-associated pediatric death of the 2023-24 flu season.
Officials said a child in eastern Virginia died this week from complications associated with the flu.
Larry Hill, a spokesperson for the VDH, said cases of influenza are expected to increase in the coming days as the weather grows colder and people return from gathering for the holidays.
For the week that ended Saturday, emergency department and urgent care visits for flu-like illnesses across Virginia accounted for almost 7% of all visits, Hill said. State health officials reported five influenza-related deaths among children during last year’s flu season.
Read the full story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
