The Indiana Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first Influenza-related death of the 2025-26 season, prompting officials to urge Hoosiers to get vaccinated and take preventative steps against the virus.
Due to privacy laws, no additional details about the patient were released. The announcement serves as a sobering reminder of the fu’s potential severity. During the previous 2024-25 flu season, more than 660 Hoosiers died after contracting Influenza.
“Each year we want to stress the importance of taking steps to prevent influenza, which can quickly become a serious illness for some Hoosiers and can even be life-threatening,” State Health Commissioner Lindsay Weaver said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Health officials note that vaccination is especially crucial now, as it takes about two weeks for protective antibodies to develop, and the holiday gathering season is approaching.
While anyone can get the flu, the health department highlighted that pregnant women, young children, people who are immunocompromised or have chronic illnesses and the elderly are at higher risk for serious complications like pneumonia, hospitalization and death.
Moreover, the department encourages Hoosiers to follow the “Three Cs” to prevent the spread of illness:
- Clean: Wash hands frequently with warm, soapy water.
- Cover: Cover coughs and sneezes with an arm or a disposable tissue.
- Contain: Stay home from work or school when sick to avoid spreading germs.
Common flu symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and a runny or stuffy nose.
The state’s flu activity is tracked weekly on the Indiana Department of Health’s online influenza dashboard. The first reported death of the season will be reflected in the data update scheduled for Nov. 3.
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him online @HorsemenSportsMedia. For more news, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver. He is also the owner and founder of Horsemen Sports Media.
