(Washington, DC) — Federal officials are warning that a drop in vaccinations in the U.S. may have led to an increase in flu deaths among children.
The CDC said Wednesday that nearly 200 children died from influenza-related illnesses during the most recent flu season, and that most of the children who died were eligible for a vaccine but didn’t receive one. It said the deaths coincide with overall drops in vaccinations among children.
As of May, the CDC said only 53-percent of children in the U.S. were vaccinated for the flu this season, which is down from the previous year.