One dead from flu in South Carolina, hospitalizations on the rise

One person in South Carolina has died of the flu, the Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Tuesday in a news release.

“Sadly, an individual from the Upstate region has become our first lab-confirmed, influenza-associated death of the season,” Dr. Teresa Foo, an agency medical consultant, said in the release.

For the week of Oct. 29 through Nov. 4 — the most recent for which statewide data is available from DHEC — a total of 10 influenza-associated hospitalizations were reported. A total of 227 influenza cases were reported. Compared to the previous week, that is an increase of 102 cases.

Seven of those cases were reported in Beaufort County

Foo said those at high risk of serious flu complications include young children, pregnant women, people 65 years and older and those with chronic health conditions like asthma, diabetes or heart or lung disease.

“But even healthy people can have serious complications from the flu,” she said.

Officials recommend that everyone older than six months get a flu vaccine each year.

Flu vaccines offered at DHEC Health Department clinics are available by appointment. Call 1-800-868-0404 to make an appointment or go to http://www.scdhec.gov/flu/fluclinics to find a nearby location.

To find a non-DHEC flu vaccine provider, go to flushot.healthmap.org.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "One dead from flu in South Carolina, hospitalizations on the rise."