YOUNGSTOWN - As Ohio health officials are reporting the first flu-related death of a child for the 2025-26 season, flu cases are on the rise in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys. The state announced the victim was a teenager from Greene County in southwestern Ohio.

Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff called the death a tragedy and a serious reminder that the flu is a major health threat. He urged parents to vaccinate their children, noting it is not too late for a shot. Ohio typically sees between one and seven pediatric flu deaths each year.

In the Mahoning Valley, hospitalizations are rising as the winter season continues. During the week ending Dec. 27, 2025, Mahoning County reported 34 people hospitalized for the flu. Trumbull County had 17 hospitalizations, and Columbiana County had four. These figures represent an increase from the previous week in all three counties.

Across the border in Pennsylvania, flu activity is increasing. Statewide data through Dec. 27 shows that 35,055 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported so far this season. There have been 22 flu-related deaths reported in Pennsylvania. In Mercer County, health records show a total of 258 confirmed flu cases.

Trumbull County is down one hospital, as Insight Trumbull closed again in November 2025. Jim Kravec, chief clinical officer of Mercy Health Lorain and Youngstown, told 21 News in a statement that Mercy Health is prepared to handle the uptick in flu cases. 

"Our teams make preparations for flu season every year to ensure we are ready to care for our patients and accommodate increases in patient volume," Kravec wrote. "In addition to our emergency departments, Mercy Health has a comprehensive network of primary care practices and walk-in care locations that can often care for those with mild to moderate cold and flu symptoms."

Local growth matches a national trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that seasonal flu activity is elevated and rising in most of the country. Nationally, the CDC estimates there have been at least 2.9 million illnesses and 30,000 hospitalizations since the fall.

According to Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the nationwide spike is being driven by the "subclade K" variation of H3N2. This version of the flu virus mutated in Australia sometime around summer 2025, Pekosz told 21 News, but the flu shot in the U.S. was chosen months before. 

"There's no way for us to update the the vaccine fast enough for us to have dealt with this 'clade K' virus," Pekosz said. "So we're in that unfortunate situation where we think there's at least a partial, what we call mismatch, between the virus that's circulating and the flu vaccine that people are hopefully getting."

While hospitalizations are up, Pekosz said this doesn't inherently mean the "clade K" flu is more dangerous than other H3N2 strains. Rather, he said it probably reflects the high level of infectiousness of the disease. 

"There are several states that have gone from virtually no influenza to very high epidemic levels over the course of two weeks," Pekosz said. "That's something that probably tells us that many more people are susceptible to infection, and when the virus reaches a city or a state, it will spread relatively quickly there."

Experts expect cases in the region to rise for several more weeks before peaking. While some areas have very high activity, local levels are currently moderate but increasing.

Providers at QuickMed Urgent Care are also seeing an uptick in respiratory patients, according to Daniel Anderson, a nurse practitioner and QuickMed's director of advanced practice. 

"Right now, the majority of what we're seeing is flu and COVID, both of them have very high rates right now, and we are seeing some RSV as well, but not nearly as high," Anderson told 21 News. 

Even though flu season is in full swing, Anderson said it isn't too late for preventative care. 

"You can still absolutely get vaccinated, and because the flu season started a little bit later this year, I still think it's a good idea to do so," Anderson said. "But typically, we want to be vaccinated a little bit earlier than now."

Doctors recommend flu shots for everyone because the season can last until May. Residents can find vaccines at many locations, including Mahoning County Public Health in Austintown, the Youngstown Community Health Center, and various retail pharmacies.

To help stop the virus, health departments suggest washing hands often, covering coughs, and staying home when sick. The Vaccines for Children program provides free shots for those without insurance at local health departments.