Overview
- Massachusetts reports six pediatric flu deaths and 187 adult deaths through Jan. 24, with hospitalizations down from a mid-December peak.
- New Hampshire counts 35 flu-related deaths, including two children, and continues to rate statewide activity as widespread.
- Massachusetts state lab testing identifies influenza A H3N2 subclade K as the dominant circulating strain.
- Public health experts note increasing influenza B cases primarily in children ages 5 to 17, echoing last season’s late-winter second peak pattern.
- Officials say this year’s vaccine still helps prevent severe illness, and they urge staying home when sick, covering coughs, frequent hand-washing, and masks in crowded settings for vulnerable people.