A CDC report released Monday found that children under the age of five made up over 30% of pediatric flu hospitalizations for the week ending Oct. 14, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Georgia, Florida, Maryland, and Texas.

• Georgia: CDC on Monday released a report detailing flu hospitalizations for the week ending Oct. 14. According to the report, children accounted for over 30% of the 1,674 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide. In addition, the report found that children under the age of five accounted for a third of pediatric flu hospitalizations. Notably, the increase in flu cases comes amid a surge of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases. "We see kids where, when we do the nasal swab, not only do they test positive for influenza, but they may have RSV or enterovirus or adenovirus at the same time," said Mark Kline, physician-in-chief at Children's Hospital New Orleans. "We've seen kids where we've gotten two or three viruses at once." In the coming weeks, children's hospitals are anticipating a twofold increase in pediatric flu cases. "Reduced population immunity to circulating respiratory illnesses, particularly among young children who may never have had exposure or been vaccinated, could bring about a robust return of flu and other respiratory viruses, like RSV," said Lynnette Brammer, team lead of CDC's domestic influenza surveillance team. (Carbajal, Becker's Hospital Review, 10/25)

• Florida/Texas: Florida Blue on Tuesday announced that Amazon Pharmacy will deliver medications to its more than 2 million commercial and self-insured customers, starting in 2023. Florida Blue joins seven other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans that have entered similar contracts with Amazon Pharmacy, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Blue Cross Blue and Shield of Nebraska, Blue Cross and Blue Shield North Carolina, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. "This expansion of our work with the Blue plans supports our goal of making access to prescription medications as simple as any other purchase: saving customers time, giving them more control over their purchases and helping them stay healthy," an Amazon spokesperson said. (Tepper, Modern Healthcare, 10/25)

• Maryland: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on Friday awarded a total of $13 million through the Clinical Faculty and Preceptor Academies Program and Registered Nurse Training Program. "Today's announcement is part of HRSA's commitment to strengthening nursing training and education and growing the next generation of the nursing workforce," said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. (AHA News, 10/24)