Despite a mild start to this year's flu season and a highly effective vaccine, the virus still remains deadly and widespread in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Health recorded one pediatric death and a sharp increase in school influenza and flu-like outbreaks over the past two weeks, according to an update issued Thursday.
Last year, the department reported 10 pediatric flu-related deaths and 706 flu or flu-like outbreaks in schools. So far this year, only 122 school outbreaks have been reported during one of the mildest flu seasons in years.
This year's dominant strain, H1N1, tends to affect younger and older people more frequently, said department epidemiologist Karen Martin.
"We're having a fairly mild season," Martin said. "But it goes to show that even in a mild season, the flu can be really devastating"
Hospitalizations for children under 4 and adults over 65 have been the most prevalent this year, according to the report.
The flu still remains "widespread" in Minnesota, a designation the health department assigns when half or more of its reporting districts report outbreaks.
"We're still going to see flu cases for the next couple of months," Martin said.
