Deaths from the flu in Middle Tennessee have bypassed deaths in the area during the 2009 / 2010 global pandemic.
Vanderbilt University tracks flu cases and deaths in eight Middle Tennessee counties and reports that 19 people have now died from flu complications. The majority of those were between 41 and 64 years old. The outbreak has also sent about 500 Middle Tennesseans to the hospital.
East Tennessee is faring better, so far: the University of Tennessee Medical Center reports four deaths from flu-related illnesses.
Officials don’t know how many of those who have died were vaccinated, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that most people over the age of 6 months get a flu shot.
The H1N1 strain is the predominant strain this year and first emerged during the 2009 / 2010 pandemic.