From Sept. 2010 to August 2011, 115 children under 18 died from flu-related complications, according to the latest CDC report. Nearly half of the deaths were in children who were previously healthy, with no underlying medical conditions that would put them at greater risk for severe disease. And nearly half of the kids were younger than 5 (most were younger than 2). "[Y]oung age in itself is a risk factor" for severe flu, the CDC said in a press release.

The official number of deaths may be small, but it's likely an underestimate, the CDC said, because the agency's surveillance method includes only those patients who are tested for influenza and then reported to the CDC. Left out are the majority of children and teens who die from flu, but are never tested.

There's an easy way to reduce pediatric deaths from flu: vaccination. The CDC's report shows that based on available vaccination data 77% of the 74 kids who died from flu and were eligible for the flu shot were never fully vaccinated.

Science, bitches.