Los Angeles County has recorded its first two flu deaths of the season, health officials announced Thursday, as influenza activity surges weeks ahead of its usual schedule. Both people who died were older adults with pre-existing medical conditions, and one of them had not received a flu shot this season.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the deaths in a statement reported by scvnews.com, which described both patients as older adults with underlying health conditions. The other patient had been vaccinated just one week before symptoms began. Public Health noted that protection from a flu shot generally takes about two weeks to develop after it's administered, meaning that patient's immunity may not have fully kicked in before falling ill. The timing of the two deaths was not disclosed, and county officials released no other details about the patients, including their ages or where they lived, according to MyNewsLA.com.
Flu Activity Climbing Faster Than Usual
Flu activity across Los Angeles County is already higher than what's typically seen this time of year, and it's expected to keep rising, the department said. In the week ending October 10, 7.9% of specimens tested at county sentinel laboratories came back positive for influenza. Emergency department visits for flu-like illness rose to 4.2% from 3.8% the week before, while new influenza-positive hospital admissions jumped from 115 to 144 over the same stretch, per the same report.
The early surge isn't just a local quirk. The county's flu season officially started on September 28, well ahead of its typical early-November arrival, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times also reported that Los Angeles County recorded 126 influenza deaths during last season, and that California had already logged 34 flu-related deaths statewide heading into October, even as flu hospital admission rates remained low across the state at the time.
A Mutated Strain Driving the Nation's Earliest Season
The early timing appears tied to a broader national trend. This year's flu season started about two and a half months earlier than typical and hit West Coast states first, according to CNN. Nationally, about 2.1% of doctor visits last week were for influenza-like illness, but in Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, at least 10% of flu tests came back positive over the same period, the network reported.
CNN's report also pointed to a gene mutation called G155E that may let the circulating H1N1 virus dodge some immunity, despite this season's vaccines being built to target H1N1. One source cited by the network raised the possibility of a second wave following an H1N1 peak this year, warning that it's unclear what could follow in the months ahead.
Other California Counties Reporting Early Deaths Too
Los Angeles isn't alone. Butte County Public Health confirmed its own first flu-related death of the 2026-27 season this week, according to ActionNewsNow. That resident was in their 90s and died from complications related to influenza, the outlet reported.
Health Officer Urges Shots Now
Dr. Muntu Davis, the Los Angeles County Health Officer, said influenza can cause serious illness and death, and he's urging everyone six months and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccination remains the most effective way to reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from infection, officials said, as flu activity continues climbing across the county weeks before the season usually gets underway.
