Child Flu Death Reported In Park County

PARK COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The Park County Coroner's Office confirms a 6-year-old flu patient died Wednesday. In a news release, Coroner David Kintz Jr. said the child had cystic fibrosis and contracted influenza B.

"We will not be releasing the name of the child and if you know the family we ask you please respect this family's privacy during this very difficult time," said Kintz Jr. "We want to remind the public that, as this is a devastating loss for the family and our community, we are at the peak of flu season and the hospitalization and death rate in the United States remains very low according to the CDC."

Earlier this week, a 4-year-old flu patient from Pueblo died. It was the second pediatric flu death in Colorado this season.

It is not known whether the two children received the flu vaccination. The flu has hospitalized 1,735 people in Colorado so far this season. There were 127 hospitalizations last week.

To prevent the spread of flu, people are encouraged to wash their hands and stay home if they are sick. For more information on flu prevention, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website.