EDINBURG, Texas – The Texas Department of State Health Services confirming on Friday the first child death of the 2019 – 2020 flu season. The child was from the Valley, only five years old and had not received the flu shot for this season.
Texas Department of State Health stresses the importance of the vaccine, especially for children between the ages of 6 months to 5 years. They are at an increased risk for flu-related complications. According to the department, Cameron County has some of the highest flu-positive rates in the state of Texas.
Eva Cruz, Edinburg Children’s Hospital, “The virus is spread through droplets in the air. When a child coughs or sneezes, those droplets travel in the air and reach the mouth and nose of other kids and that’s how the kids get sick with the influenza. Some of the flu symptoms that can be observed in kids that have influenza are like fever, chills, headaches, body aches, cough, and runny nose.”
Doctors recommend getting the flu shot every year.
