Estimate: 1 million caught flu in Mass. this year

State health officials acknowledge facing a difficult flu season this year, with nearly four times the number of reported cases over this time last year and four recent flu-related deaths.

"This was a very difficult flu season in Massachusetts,'' said Department of Public Health spokeswoman Donna Rheaume.

This year, nearly 13,200 cases of influenza have been reported so far, she said. Last year at this time, just under 3,500 cases were reported, she said. These figures represent only those patients sick enough to go to the hospital and get tested, she said.

Rheaume said officials estimate about 1 million people across the state caught the flu, including those who were hospitalized, this year.

On Monday, a 12-year-old girl died from complications with influenza, the fourth child to died from complications related to the flu in the state.

The Worcester County girl died on March 16, two days after a 15-year-old from Newton died from influenza-related pneumonia.

On March 1, a 14-year-old child, who had a number of health problems, died from complications from the flu, health officials said. The next day, a Suffolk County 6-year-old, who also had existing health problems, died from complications from the flu.

"This is a very tragic situation, but it's rare'' for children to die from influenza, said Rheaume.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, this year's vaccine is a good match for only about 40 percent of the flu strains affecting people this year across the country. Typically, the flu vaccine should be able to protect against 70 to 90 percent of the flu strains out there.

Each year, state and federal health officials develop a new flu vaccine to defend against the strains of the disease expected to appear. This year, the CDC reported that the vaccine is not well suited for a particular strain of flu that hit the U.S.

Rheaume noted the number of flu cases is dropping as the season comes to a close, but the flu is expected to stay in circulation until April. The agency said the state's flu season peaked during the week of Feb. 17.

The state agency still recommends the best protection against the flu is the flu shot, and next year's vaccination will protect against three new strains of the disease, officials said.

State health officials also reported that a CDC advisory panel recently recommended children ranging in age from 6 months to 18 years get the flu vaccination. In past years, the vaccination was recommended only for children up to the age of 5.

The agency also recommends staying at home when sick to avoid spreading germs, frequent hand washing and coughing into a tissue or shoulder to prevent germs from getting on hands.

At schools, nurses and teachers work to encourage good hygiene among students.

In Framingham, students at the Hemenway Elementary School are encouraged to stay clean and lessons are included in classroom instruction, said principal Carolyn Burke. On one day last month, about 20 percent of the school's roughly 500 students missed classes because they were sick, she said.

After that day, teachers called on students to focus on good hygiene to protect against spreading the illness, she said. The school's nurses and teachers also encourage kids to wash at classroom sinks before meals and discourage the spread of germs by practicing good hygiene, she said.

"We encourage it, and we do teach it,'' said Burke.

In Milford, flu season is winding down, said Judy Dagnese, the district's director of nursing and a nurse at the Brookside Elementary School. The school saw some cases before February vacation, but incidents have declined, she said.

"So far, we've been fortunate,'' said Dagnese.

Hudson's Farley Elementary School, nurse Lee Waingortin said there hasn't been an increase in flu cases like elsewhere in the state.

"We've been lucky ... we generally have a healthy environment here,'' said Waingortin.

John Hilliard can be reached at 508-626-4449 or jhilliar@cnc.com.