Health officials and Super Bowl event organizers say the 1 million people expected to attend Sunday's game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots — or game-related exhibits in Minnesota this week — should take every precaution against this year's deadly flu epidemic, including getting vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says this flu season — in which 37 children have died and 12,000 people have reportedly been hospitalized — could be worse than the 2014-2015 flu season, when the CDC estimated 34 million Americans got the flu, 710,00 were hospitalized and about 56,000 died, Fox News reported.
"We'll expect something around those numbers," Dr. Daniel B. Jernigan, director of the CDC's influenza division, told reporters. This year's epidemic is particularly dangerous because of a new strain of the virus.
CDC officials are urging everyone headed to the game or game-related events to get a flu shot. Health officials say people in crowded areas should wash their hands more often than usual.
One Patriots player, Malcolm Butler, was hospitalized with flu symptoms Monday but is expected to play, the Boston Herald reported.
Super Bowl event organizers have disinfected the massive Super Bowl Experience interactive "theme park" exhibit at the Minneapolis Convention Center multiple times this week. Some of their equipment can be used by as many as 100 people a day during Super Bowl Week.
One mom told Fox News she's glad organizers are wiping down equipment like a virtual reality game her son played at the Super Bowl Experience.
"They've been wiping everything down, sanitizing it before the kids use it," Julie Dietline said. "I think they've been doing a really good job at everything that we've seen."
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