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First flu case of the season reported

Delaware Public Media

The flu has made its first appearance this season in Delaware.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reports the state’s first confirmed case of influenza for 2019-2020 flu season. And it’s also the first pediatric case- involving an eight-year-old from New Castle County.

The state has already hosted two flu clinics since the official start of the season last week.More than 1,300 Delawareans got the shot at a drive-thru event Tuesday in Dover. 

State health officials recommend flu vaccinations for Delawareans 6 months or older. 

In a statement Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay said she hopes this first reported case will “further motivate individuals who have not yet gotten their annual flu shot to do so right away.” 

Last flu season Delaware recorded more than 6,300 laboratory-confirmed flu cases with more than 1,000 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. 

The year before was a record-breaking season in the First State with roughly 9,000 confirmed flu cases and 35 flu-related deaths.

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