A 38-year-old Santa Clara man has died due to flu complications. Vincent Harris was in Arizona visiting family on the weekend of Jan. 6 when he died. A Facebook post from a loved one says Harris was completely healthy and died in just a matter of days from first feeling any flu symptoms.
Harris was an avid motorcycle rider. He was a member of the San Jose Lane Splitter Chapter of the Harley Davidson Owners Group and was supposed to lead a ride to San Juan Bautista on Jan. 12. It was a certification ride that would have helped Harris achieve Road Captain status within the group.
The group’s website says it will hold the ride as Harris planned, rain or shine. The Lane Splitters group is also working to schedule a benefit ride for Harris, where his family will be presented with his road captain patch and shoulder cord.
While the death of a person under the age of 65 due to flu complications is rare, it does happen. Last year, 11 people under the age of 65 died in Santa Clara County because of the flu. Just last week, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department reported the county’s first flu-related death of 2019 — a 39-year-old. The county says that person had other health issues.
A flu vaccination is recommended for anyone over the age of six months. Doctors say it is especially important for women who are pregnant, children under the age of five, adults over 65 and people with chronic medical conditions like asthma and heart disease.
Flu symptoms are much like symptoms of the common cold, though more severe. They include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue. If you show symptoms of the flu, the Health Department says you should contact your doctor who may prescribe antiviral medication. Antibiotics cannot fight the flu.
