BOSTON — Eight children have now passed away from the flu in Massachusetts, state public health data shows.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s dashboard, to date this season and as of Thursday, there have been 306 deaths from influenza, with eight of those being children.
During the 2024 to 2025 season, Massachusetts saw a total of 470 deaths from influenza, state data shows.
From the week of Feb. 22 to Feb. 28, the current activity level for estimated influenza-like illness is moderate. The current estimated severity of influenza for that week is low.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms for the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache, and fatigue. Some people may report vomiting and diarrhea.
The CDC recommends getting a yearly flu vaccine to reduce your risk of flu and its potentially serious outcomes.
The CDC also advises taking the following precautions to stay healthy:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- If you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them. For flu, CDC recommends that people stay home, for at least 24 hours, until your symptoms improve overall, and you have not had fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
- After these two criteria are met, there are some additional precautions that can be taken to protect others from respiratory illness.
- These include taking steps for cleaner air and hygiene practices, including cleaning frequently-touched surfaces.
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wearing a mask is an additional prevention strategy that you can choose to further protect yourself and others. When worn by a person with an infection, masks reduce the spread of the virus to others. Masks can also protect wearers from breathing in infectious particles from people around them.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- You can improve air quality by bringing in fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, or gathering outdoors. Cleaner air can reduce the risk of exposure to viruses.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW