A 5-year-old in Kent County and a 26-year-old Sussex County woman have the state’s first confirmed cases of the flu for the season, the Delaware Division of Public Health said Monday.

DPH said the child, infected with influenza strain B, was hospitalized, and the woman, infected with strain A, was not, adding that neither had received their flu vaccines.

Although last year’s cases were unusually low, DPH Director Dr. Karyl Rattay is urging Delawareans to get their flu shots as soon as possible to prevent further strain on hospitals, still taxed with COVID-19 cases. The flu vaccine is recommended for those 6 months and older and can be administered at the same time as the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pre-pandemic, in the 2019-20 season, 400 out of 7,000 confirmed flu cases were hospitalized in Delaware, and 11 died from flu complications. Last year, 26 cases were confirmed statewide with one hospitalization and one death.

The flu and COVID-19 have similar symptoms, including runny nose, headaches, body aches, cough and chills. Anyone with symptoms should contact his or her health care provider about getting tested, as well as stay home and avoid contact with others.