NEW YORK (AP) The past flu season was the deadliest for U.S. children in nearly a decade, health officials said Friday.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said they had received reports of 172 pediatric flu deaths since October. That surpasses the 2012-2013 flu season, when there were
171. An average season sees about 110.
There were more deaths in 2009-2010, but that was when a rare flu pandemic occurred involving a new strain. More than 300 children died that season.
Besides that pandemic year, this past winter had the most pediatric flu deaths since the CDC started counting them in 2004.
The past flu season wasnt a pandemic, but it was long 19 weeks. It also was unusually intense, with high levels of illness reported in nearly every state for weeks on end.
The season peaked in early February.
