{"id":384406,"date":"2026-01-01T09:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T09:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/384406\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T09:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T09:11:09","slug":"greene-county-teen-dies-from-flu-first-pediatric-death-in-ohio-this-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/384406\/","title":{"rendered":"Greene County teen dies from flu, first pediatric death in Ohio this season"},"content":{"rendered":"

CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 A teenager from Greene County is Ohio\u2019s first reported flu-related pediatric death of the 2025-26 flu season, the Ohio Department of Health <\/a>said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis death is tragic and our hearts go out to the family,\u201d said Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff. \u201cIt also reminds us that influenza, though common, is a serious health threat, and we urge parents to protect their kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Greene County is located in southwest Ohio near Dayton. <\/p>\n

Flu activity usually peaks between December and February. In Ohio, flu activity has been increasing since late November and has increased more rapidly over the past few weeks, state health officials said.<\/p>\n

Ohio generally reports between one and seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths each flu season.<\/p>\n

In Cuyahoga County,<\/a> influenza activity increased from low to moderate in December. No pediatric or adult influenza-related deaths have been recorded in Cuyahoga County this flu season. <\/p>\n

While there were only 13 flu-related hospitalizations in early December, the number jumped to 38 for the week ending Dec. 13, and 66 for the week ending Dec. 20, according to county data. <\/a><\/p>\n

This season is on track to be similar to last flu season in Cuyahoga County, which saw low to moderate numbers of flu-related hospitalizations in December 2024. Last season peaked in late February 2025, when influenza-related hospitalizations hit 211 in a single week, according to county data. <\/a><\/p>\n

Nationally, the flu season is off to a severe and early start, with outpatient visits for flu-like illness already high, according to the CDC.<\/a> A mutated strain of influenza A, known as H3N2 subclade K, is believed to be behind the surge in flu-related illness. <\/p>\n

There have been 4.6 million flu cases nationwide this season, with 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths, according to the CDC\u2019s latest report released Dec. 19. <\/p>\n

Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. It can reduce illnesses, doctor visits, and missed work and school, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not too late to get a flu vaccine,\u201d Vanderhoff said. \u201cIt could prevent you or your loved ones from getting seriously ill. And, especially during flu season, it\u2019s important to maintain good hand hygiene and to stay home if you are sick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flu vaccines are available at most healthcare providers\u2019 offices, local health departments, and retail pharmacies. <\/p>\n

Vaccine finders are available here<\/a> and here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Call the Cuyahoga County Board of Health at 216-201-2041 to make an appointment to get the flu shot. <\/p>\n

There are also prescription antiviral drugs<\/a> that can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick. These medications work best when taken within one to two days after flu symptoms begin.<\/p>\n

Other effective ways to avoid getting or spreading the flu include washing hands frequently or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, covering coughs and sneezes with tissues or coughing or sneezing into elbows, and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.<\/p>\n

More information about flu can be found on ODH\u2019s influenza website<\/a>. Information on flu activity in Ohio can be found on ODH\u2019s Respiratory Dashboard.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 A teenager from Greene County is Ohio\u2019s first reported flu-related pediatric death of the 2025-26…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384407,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[64,63,137,500],"class_list":{"0":"post-384406","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-healthcare","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-healthcare"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384406"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384406\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}