Health officials confirmed Iowa's first pediatric flu-related death of the 2018-19 season March 8.
The Iowa Department of Health did not disclose additional information about the child but said the death "serves as a very unfortunate reminder of the seriousness of influenza and the importance of vaccination," in a flu update.
The state has seen 449 flu hospitalizations this season, 60 percent of which occurred in the last four weeks. More than half of the state's 20 confirmed flu-related deaths also occurred in the past two weeks.