A child in Pima County died due to the flu, health department officials said.
The elementary school-aged child got sick and died in late February, the Pima County Health Department said in a news release Wednesday. The child’s death was caused by an infection of the H1N1 strain of influenza.
It is the first pediatric flu death in Pima County this season and is not related to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the department said.
The department monitors child flu deaths closely but does not receive reports for adult flu deaths, said Aaron Pacheco, spokesman for the Pima County Health Department.
"We pay very close attention to pediatric flu deaths,” Pima County Health Director Dr. Bob England said. “The focus as of late is of course on COVID-19 but this is a somber reminder that other respiratory illnesses cause sad outcomes like this every year.”
Health officials recommend the flu vaccine for anyone older than 6 months. England said it’s not too late to get vaccinated this flu season, but he recommends people get a yearly flu vaccine earlier in the season, which starts around October according to the Centers for Disease Control.
