A southern Idaho man is the first person to die in the state from the flu this season.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reports the man was over the age of 50 and died from an influenza-related illness. He’s the first person in Idaho to die in the 2016-2017 season.
Last flu season, 26 people died from the flu in Idaho. The average number of deaths in a year in the Gem State is 23. In the 2012-2013 season, 35 people died.
Health and Welfare says the flu affects five to 20 percent of the population every year. That adds up to 36,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. More than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu symptoms each year.
Health and Welfare recommends everyone over six months old should get the flu vaccine. This year the vaccine offers protection from four strains of flu, instead of the usual three strains.
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