Boston Declares Public Health Emergency Due to Worst Flu Season in Years
With 18 deaths so far in Massachusetts, the city of Boston declared a health emergency.
Boston has declared a public health emergency as a result of 18 flu-related deaths statewide since the official start of flu season in October. According to city officials, this is the worst flu season there since 2009.
Claiming four deaths in the city so far, Boston is now working toward more accessible vaccination for citizens, especially the elderly and children, two of the groups most susceptible to the virus. This flu season has seen about 700 cases of the virus, far more than the 70 cases a year ago. Hospitals in Boston have estimated 1,500 people displaying flu-like symptoms have made emergency room visits thus far.
Twenty-nine states, including Massachusetts, have reported high numbers of flu cases. It is estimated that 8.1 out of 100,000 people nationally experience flu-related hospitalizations.
For more information about flu prevention and flu symptoms, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu website.