State health officials confirmed a 4-year-old girl has died of the flu — the first flu-related death of a child in Hawaii this flu season.
The girl died Sunday despite being under a physician’s care for a few days and being given Tamiflu, Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo said.
Adults in Hawaii have died of the flu this flu season, Okubo said, but she did not have figures Tuesday on how many.
Tamiflu is an oral antiviral medication that can reduce the chances of getting the flu virus and reducing its duration and severity if taken within two days of the flu symptoms, according to its maker.
A Hawaii child and an adult died of the flu virus during the previous flu season, Okubo said.
The flu season typically runs from October through March.
Nationally the number of people who die from flu-associated deaths ranges from 3,000 to 49,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While Hawaii’s flu activity has been not as high as on the mainland, the flu virus can be deadly, and children and older adults are particularly vulnerable.
"The flu affects people differently depending on the individual, but it can be a very serious illness," Okubo said.
Okubo said according to state epidemiologist Sarah Park, the recent death seemed like an uncommon incident.
"It wouldn’t likely affect most children this seriously," Okubo said.
Okubo said during the past flu season, about 374 children nationwide died from the flu virus.
Okubo advised that people 6 months and older should get a flu vaccination.
She also said to reduce chances of contracting and spreading the flu, people should wash their hands often, cover their mouths when they cough and sneeze, and stay at home if they’re sick to prevent the illness from spreading to other people.
"It’s really important if you’re sick not to spread it," she said.
The flu is widespread in all states but Hawaii and Tennessee and is starting to ease in some areas of the nation, the CDC reported. As of Friday, 29 children or teens had died of the flu, The Associated Press reported. In a typical season about 100 children die of the flu, the AP said.
The Hawaii Department of Health provides a list of pharmacies that administer flu shots. Go to flu.hawaii.gov and click on the "Vaccine Locator" link on the left side of the page.
