Two young children in the city have died recently from flu-related illnesses, The Post has learned.
Pediatricians said they had just received alerts from the city Health Department notifying them that a 13-month-old boy and 5-year-old girl had died and advising them to accelerate vaccinations of patients who are most susceptible to the influenza bug, particularly the young and the old.
The deaths occurred in mid-to-late November, before the flu season started, the department says.
The girl had exhibited flu-like symptoms two weeks before she died.
“She reported feeling unwell at school, subsequently arrested and died soon thereafter,” the department’s report said.
The boy had asthma. He had a fever and was coughing and vomiting before he died in the emergency room. He later tested positive for influenza, authorities said.
Nine kids from ages 1 to 14 died from influenza/pneumonia in 2004.