Children's Hospital of Wisconsin discusses flu season

WAUWATOSA (CBS 58) -- Children's Hospital of Wisconsin has a message for parents: get your child a flu shot if you haven't done so already. 

The message comes after the first pediatric death from the flu in the state this season. 

The State Department of Health Services says the child was from Southeast Wisconsin and was not vaccinated. Dr. Lyn Ranta, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, said they recommend the flu vaccine annually for every child who is more than six months old. 

"Sometimes we get lulled into a feeling of complacency and I think that again, this death in Wisconsin of a pediatric patient was just a wake up call to everybody, even though we talk about flu and flu vaccine in the fall that we still in the middle of the flu season and discussing the severity of flu potentially and the need to still get vaccinated if not already was an important message to share," said Ranta. 

Ranta says there are two peaks of the flu each year. The first wave is usually an Influenza A strain. Ranta says it's been off to a slower start than normal, but they've seen more hospitalizations and visits the last couple weeks. 

"And we don’t think we’ve reached our peak yet so it’s on all of our minds," said Ranta. 

Ranta says in addition to the flu shot, keep kids well fed and well rested, and to focus on good hand washing.