A 98-year-old woman is reported to be the first victim of this year's influenza outbreak in Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health has announced.

Department spokeswoman Amy Cornell confirmed the death, which occurred Jan. 15, but little information such as the city in which the woman lived has been made public.

County health officials said the woman had other health problems. Influenza is most deadly among people older than age 65, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Health authorities and the CDC said this flu season has not yet peaked, and typically does so in February or March.

This flu season is expected to be moderate to severe. Health officials are concerned because the season started in early January, and more hospitalizations are being reported earlier than in recent years. Twenty children have died from influenza-related illnesses nationwide through Jan. 5, according to the CDC.

This year's dominant strain, Influenza A (H3N2), is one of three covered in the flu vaccination, health authorities said. County health officials strongly recommend that everyone gets vaccinated to decrease their chances of contracting flu or to lessen its effects. It is still not too late; immunity takes effect in two weeks, officials said.

California has not yet been hit hard, but 47 states now report widespread flu activity, according to the CDC. Only California and Mississippi report "regional" infections and Hawaiian state epidemiologists report only sporadic cases, according to the CDC.

Santa Clara County Department of Public Health has weekly flu-watch updates on its website.

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