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Alabama teen dies from flu complications as peak season approaches

Staff photo / The Hamilton County Health Department's downtown building is pictured. A department spokesperson said it's important to practice flu prevention measures, such as maintaining good hand hygiene and staying home when you are sick.
Staff photo / The Hamilton County Health Department's downtown building is pictured. A department spokesperson said it's important to practice flu prevention measures, such as maintaining good hand hygiene and staying home when you are sick. Staff photo / The Hamilton County Health Department's downtown building is pictured. A department spokesperson said it's important to practice flu prevention measures, such as maintaining good hand hygiene and staying home when you are sick.

By Kailee Shores 3 min read

A teenager from North Alabama died from complications with influenza at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, according to a social media post from his church.

Noah “Smo” Smothers, 14, died on Monday, the post by New Home Baptist Church in Pisgah, Alabama, said.

Nationwide, there have been eight influenza-related deaths this season, said Lauren Hawkins, a registered nurse with the Hamilton County Health Department.

Tennessee has tallied zero influenza-related deaths so far this season, according to the weekly influenza report for Dec. 14-20, put out by the Tennessee Department of Health. The report also said there were two open outbreaks during that week, both on the other side of the state.

The strain of influenza that has been most frequently reported this season is Strain A, Hawkins said. Strain A is the strain that this year’s flu vaccine inoculated against.