"According to a post on Instagram from Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), flu cases increased 114% during the week of Dec. 14, with the rate being three times higher among children. Adults over 65 and children under 2 years old are at higher risk for complications from infection, according to the commission. Two children under 2 years old have died of the flu in Boston this season, and four children have died of the illness statewide."
"Some Boston-area hospitals are struggling to meet the demands of this surge in hospitalizations. "The hospital is already at capacity, and we are very much stretched to our limits," Dr. Erin Beaumont, chair of the emergency department at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, told WBUR. "Unfortunately, I think we're probably just at the tip of the iceberg when we're talking about this surge.""
"This uptick is occurring a month earlier than last season, when Boston cases did not reach these numbers until mid- to late-January. According to Boston.gov, BPHC has already hosted 27 free vaccine clinics across 15 neighborhoods, vaccinating more than 2,500 individuals. Despite this, only 34% of Massachusetts residents have been vaccinated this season. Vaccines are highly effective at lowering the risk of serious illness and hospitalizations from the flu, especially in children, according to the CDC."
Flu cases and hospitalizations in Massachusetts have surged sharply, prompting the City of Boston to open free flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinics available to anyone six months or older without an appointment. Flu cases increased 114% during the week of Dec. 14, with rates three times higher among children. Adults over 65 and children under two are at higher risk for complications; two children under two have died in Boston and four statewide. Some Boston-area hospitals are at capacity and stretched to limits. BPHC has hosted 27 free clinics vaccinating over 2,500 people, yet only 34% of residents are vaccinated this season.
Read at Boston.com
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