This deadly flu season is so severe that it is breaking records while claiming many young lives.
New information released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there have been more hospitalizations during this flu season than ever before.
[CDC officials to address flu vaccine's effectiveness]
[FLU RESOURCE GUIDE: What you need to know about the flu season]
The CDC said 16 children died of the flu this week, making it 53 children who have died since October.
Officials said half of those children didn’t have any previous problems and were healthy before catching the flu, but 80 percent of them were not vaccinated.
Still, many people have wondered if the vaccine is effective. It will be weeks before the CDC knows for sure.
“We continue to recommend the flu vaccine even though we know most flu vaccines have low effectiveness against H3N2 viruses,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's actiing director. “Effectiveness against other viruses is better.”
Ninety-five people have died of the flu in North Carolina this season.
The Gaston County Health Department confirms that at least three of those deaths happened there.
Officials said 84 people have died of the flu in South Carolina.
Schuchat said researchers are working on a universal vaccine, but she didn’t say when it will be made available to the public.
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