30 children now dead from flu, CDC says

Show Caption Hide Caption Flu season overwhelming hospitals While this year’s flu season may not turn out to be as bad as previous nasty ones, it’s still overwhelming hospitals and doctor’s offices.

The number of children who have died from the flu is now up to 30 as public health officials attempt to manage a busy flu season.

Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 pediatric deaths as a result of the flu, which is considered widespread in 49 states and Puerto Rico.

Dan Jernigan, the director of the Influenza Division of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, warned this flu season is very active and was "probably peaking" last week.

Read more: Michigan boy, 12, dies days after developing flu-like symptoms

The CDC's most recent statistics for the week ending Jan. 13 also revealed the hospitalization rate for the flu is 31.5 per 100,000 people, up from 22.7 the week before.

Is it too late to get the flu shot? Have you gotten your flu shot this year? Watch this video to see if its too late.

Jernigan and CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald attribute the high flu activity to the prevalence of the H3N2 flu, this year's most common form of flu. H3N2 is associated with more severe illness, especially among children and the elderly. Flu seasons during which H3 viruses are prevalent are usually worse and come with more hospitalizations and deaths.

The H3N2 flu has most affected people over 65, those 50 to 64, and children under five years old.

Read more: Flu kills 10-year-old Connecticut boy who traveled to hockey tournament

Since 2010, the CDC estimates there have been between 9.2 and 60.8 million flu cases each year. Annual hospitalizations range from 140,000 to 710,000 and deaths are estimated between 12,000 and 56,000 each year.

Fitzgerald insists while the flu shot isn't perfect, it's the best way to protest yourself from the flu. Other tips include covering your cough, avoiding people who are sick and staying home when feeling ill.

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