Georgia Flu Deaths Up To 79; Hospitalizations Reach New High In Metro Area

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February 19th, 2018

Reed Olson, 8, gets a flu shot at a DeKalb County health center in Decatur earlier this month. “We continue to recommend parents get their children vaccinated even though it’s late in the season,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

David Goldman / Associated Press

Georgia public health officials have now confirmed a total of 79 influenza-related deaths this flu season, including three children, as of Friday.

That total easily surpasses the 58 deaths the state reported in 2009, the first year that all flu deaths were required to be reported to Georgia Public Health.

The Department of Public Health on Friday also reported 165 hospitalizations in the eight-county metro Atlanta area during the week of Feb. 4 through Feb. 10. That’s the highest number of flu hospitalizations reported this season.

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