Puerto Rico Declares Influenza Epidemic: 42 Dead, Over 1,000 Hospitalized

The health department is seeking to vaccinate as many people as possible before the Christmas season.

A building displays a banner urging visitors to wear face masks in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 20, 2020. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico has declared an influenza epidemic, with a majority of the nearly 30,000 cases being children.

It was Puerto Rico’s first such declaration since 2016, according to a Nov. 9 press release by the Puerto Rico Department of Health. Fatalities rose to 42 individuals as of Nov. 4, with 1,048 hospitalizations and 29,947 infections this influenza season, which began in July.