Third child under 10 dies of complications linked to influenza in B.C.
Posted January 5, 2024 8:10 am.
Last Updated January 6, 2024 1:24 pm.
A third child has died in British Columbia due to complications linked to influenza, cases of which continue to rise in the province.
The latest update from the BC Centre for Disease Control says it received three reports of influenza-related deaths in children aged under 10 during the final week of 2023.
It says that means influenza was a contributing factor but not necessarily the primary cause of death in the children.
The centre said on Dec. 29 that two children had died in the preceding two weeks and early findings indicated secondary bacterial infections had contributed to their severe illness, which can be a complication of the flu.
Thursday’s report says cases of influenza, along with RSV, are rising in B.C., while hospitalizations and deaths linked to COVID-19 have decreased since early November.
The centre says there are currently 219 people in hospital with COVID-19 throughout the province, with 26 in critical care.
