Fresno County's Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday two people have died from complications of flu infections. Both men, one in his 40’s and the other one in his 50’s, had medical conditions which put them at risk from the flu.
Joe Prado, the county’s community health manager, says the men were hospitalized in intensive care for five days before they died earlier this month due to influenza A.
“It’s concerning to our community when we lose two individuals but also it reminds us how deadly flu is.”
One man did not have a flu shot this season and the other man’s vaccination status is unknown.
Prado says getting vaccinated is still the best protection against the flu, including the strain influenza A. He urges the community to get a flu shot in an effort to prevent potential harm including death.
“It really points a different picture of what flu can do and underlying medical conditions can be something as simple as diabetes and high blood pressure and there’s a lot of people in our community that fit this bill,” Prado says.
These deaths mark the first of this flu season for Fresno County. Last season, the county reported 22 cases of deaths linked with the flu.
Health officials recommend for those with flu like symptoms to visit their health care provider immediately.
