The flu season may be winding down, but parents of young children have reason to stay alert.
A CNN report revealed, "During the week ending March 17, nearly 58% of all laboratory-confirmed cases of flu were caused by B-strain viruses, according to the CDC report. Circulating strains this season, which began in October, were a mix of A viruses (H3N2 and H1N1) and B viruses."
Though the H3N2 strain generally leads to more severe illness and hospitalizations than B strains, these B strains tend to be more severe for younger children.
"We often see a wave of influenza B during seasons when influenza A H3N2 was the predominant virus earlier in the season. Unfortunately, we don't know what the influenza B wave will look like," said CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund.
The CDC recommends flu shots for those who have not gotten vaccinated while strains continue to circulate. It is possible for people who've been sick with one strain of the flu to get a different strain in the same season.
According to CNN, the CDC reported five additional flu-related pediatric deaths during the 11th week of the year. In the 2017-18 season, 133 children have died.
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