Flu outbreaks hit kids hard in Georgia

ATLANTA - The flu has struck Georgia children particularly hard this month, filling hospital emergency rooms and -- in one case -- closing an elementary school. <br> <br> Some cities -- such as Augusta -- have not seen this kind of flu activity in nearly two decades. <br> <br> School closed Friday at Woodward Academy North in Duluth. School President Henry Payne says about a quarter of its 410 students have been out sick. <br> <br> On Monday and Tuesday, nearly a third of the students at Glynn County&#39;s 18 schools were out with flu-like illnesses. <br> <br> State health officials warn that more flu cases may be on the way, since the flu tends to affect kids first and then moves to adults and the elderly. They&#39;re urging people to get flu shots. <br> <br> The flu is a contagious disease that attacks the respiratory tract. <br> <br> Most people recover in one or two weeks, but some can develop life-threatening complications. About 36,000 people die from it each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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