Child dies from flu-related illness in Pima County

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The Pima County Health Department and the Arizona Department of Health Services said a child has died as the result of a flu-related illness.

According to a news release, the child died because of a systemic bacterial infection complicated by the flu virus. It is the first pediatric flu-related death in Arizona this season.

Officials recommend that everyone aged 6 months and older be immunized.

"Although this flu season in Pima County has been mild compared to prior years, the risk of influenza among our vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly is very real and can have devastating consequences, Dr. Francisco García, Director of the Pima County Health Department, said in the release.

People at high risk for influenza complications should not wait to see a doctor if they get flu symptoms. People with underlying chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or neurological conditions; pregnant women; people younger than 5 or older than 65 and people with a weakened immune system are considered at high risk for serious flu complications.

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