One Flu-Related Death Reported in Alameda County

One recent death in Alameda County has been linked to the flu, a county public health official said today (Thursday).

Statewide, four influenza-related deaths in this flu season were reported to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) by last Friday, Jan. 3. The state releases those numbers weekly.

The Alameda County death was confirmed by Erica Pan, M.D., director of the county Public Health Department's division of communicable disease control and prevention.

Pan said the person who died in Alameda County was under 65 years of age but did not provide additional details. The department's public information officer, Sherri Willis, said the death occurred the week of Dec. 22, according to Bay City News Service.

Pan said that only flu-related deaths in persons aged 64 and under are legally reportable. 

Most health officials believe flu-related deaths are under-reported, Pan said. 

She said flu vaccine is in good supply in Alameda County this year and urged local residents to get a vaccination if they haven't already done so.

It's not too late to get a flu vaccination. Find a location near you. 

The H1N1 virus -- sometimes called swine flu -- surfaced in the United States in 2009, causing the first global pandemic in more than 40 years and resulting in a number of hospitalizations and deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Common flu symptoms

The public is advised to get yearly flu vaccinations to protect against H1N1 as well as other types of flu viruses. Information about where to get vaccinated can be found at http://cchealth.org/flu/vaccination.php.

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