we get the latest from nbc's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: near indianapolis 37-year-old carley slaven died just three days after being diagnosed with the flu. >> things just went downhill so fast. >> reporter: even though her kids had gotten a flu shot, she had not. >> we were all there holding her when she died. >> reporter: in san jose, california, maria also didn't have the vaccine. when she fell critically ill she lost her unborn baby. the cdc reports two-thirds of pregnant women have not gotten a flu shot, but the message is spreading. over the weekend lines stretched out the door in connecticut for free or low cost vaccines. >> i thought now was the time to be more proactive. >> nationwide the dcd says there is enough supply, but the skyrocketing demand has prompted some urgent care centers to scramble. >> typically during this time in january you see health care organizations are returning unused flu vaccines, and for us to be on our third order just speaks to the demand. >> reporter: doctors say it is a myth that the shot itself will give you the flu. >> when you get the flu s

gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> all right. time to check back with nbc meteorologist bill karins who is keeping an eye on a new blizzard warning. >> let's talk about the northeast portion of this storm. this is mostly a thursday event. winter storm warnings now for norfolk, virginia beach areas, southern portions of maryland and we are still waiting to see the impacts how badly from d.c. to philly. as of now it looks like a little bit of snow. maybe something d.c., nothing philly. it is really i-95. and the areas of eastern new england that will be hit the hardest. possibly a foot of snow. 6 to 12 inches likely from hartford to providence to boston. again, pretty good cut off line in central new england. that's a look at the big weather story of the day. now here's a closer look at your day ahead. >>> well, in the southeast today, all eyes will be on what happens with that ice storm in southern georgia and north florida. eventually it will break out into some snow throughout the carolinas. the cold air is in place in southern

gabe gutierrez has the story from denver. >> reporter: after serving in the army for seven years allison bush now suffers from nerve damage and is worried she might have multiple sclerosis. >> everything was falling apart. i couldn't take care of my kids. i couldn't do my job. >> reporter: she says she's waited 3 1/2 months for a primary care appointment at her local v.a. and another 60 days for an mri. is that acceptable? >> no, absolutely not, not when it's either that or nothing. what are you supposed to do? >> reporter: the average wait for new primary care appointments at the denver v.a. has topped 42 days, that's nearly twice the national average. denver leads the nation with the longee delay, even worse than the main facility in phoenix where a wait time scandal first erupted in 2014. delays there are believed to have contributed to patient death. now the agency has promised greater transparency with data available online. in denver, wait times are reviewed every morning. >> in october we completed 10,350 appointments. >> reporter: sally hanfelder runs the v.a. >> my highest prior

nbc gabe gutierrez has more. >> reporter: this morning a deadly string of the flu is sweeping the country. hospitals seeing a surge of six patients. >> today was terrible. >> getting worse. >> very bad. >> reporter: the cdc says 46 states are now reporting widespread flu and more than 41,000 flu cases has been reported. more than three times more than last season. california has been hit especially hard. at least 27 deaths there people under 65 since october. this in san diego opening a triage. emergency services stretched thin from omaha. >> about 12,000 positi week. >> reporter: to dallas. >> we are now seeing 12 to 15 cases per day of people calling 911 of flu conditions. that is 611% increase. >> reporter: the strain is known as h 3 n 2 particularly deadly variety of influenza. making it worse, hospitals are facing shortage of airbags, because manufacturer is in puerto rico. >> any time you see patients with flu like systems you need more iv fluid. because the iv fluids are limited that means they are not able to give as many out. >> reporter: at medical center in brooklyn, feeling th

her parents speaking out in an emotional interview with nbc's gabe gutierrez. hey, gabe good morning. >> reporter: hoda good morning. the 15-year-old juvenile suspect who has not been publicly identified yet is now charged with murder. in an emotional exclusive interview, the family members of that young girl who was killed are showing remarkable poise as they share their heartbreaking loss. this morning for the parents of bailey holt, the grief is overwhelming overwhelming. >> i'm just missing her every morning before school. i would kiss her her i loved her every morning before iwork. >> bailey andon cope both 15 years old, died tuesday when police say another student barged into kentucky's marshall county high school and opened fire. her parents say she loved music, art, and wanted to be a nurse. >> she loved everyone. she never had a harsh word to say about anything or anyone. >> i took her to school and gave her a kiss and told her i loved her and she got out of the car. >> reporter: these four students were inside the school when the bloodshed began. >> w

gabe gutierrez reports. >> this morning across the country, the outbreak is not loosening its grip and the race is now on to get the flu shot. >> i thought it was time to be a little more proactive. >> the cdc says overall there is enough supply but the shortages are being reported and the skyrocketing need has prompted health care facilities to scram bh. >> the flu vaccine. we've had to order it three times. that speaks to the demand. >> hospitals are taking drastic measures. this one in atlanta opening an e.r. on wheels. 14 extra beds to deal with the onslaught of sick patients. in new york the governor has declared a flu disaster, allowing pharmacies to get flu vaccine to children and teenagers. even though we're four months into the flu season, people still have a lot of questions. here's what you need to know. what should you do within the first 24 hours of getting sick? first, stay home. if you're a high risk group such as the elderly, take anti-viral medication as soon as possible. >> so attemtam flue is a very g medication. taken within the first 24 hours, kit reduce your sympt

nbc gabe gutierrez with that story. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: this is shaping up to be the worst flu season since is 2009 swine flu pandemic and it is not letting up. we're hearing a gut wrenching message from a family of one of the outbreaks victims. the morning, the worst flu season in almost a decade is getting deadlier. near indianapolis, the family of 37-year-old carly slaven is heartbroken. >> things just went downhill so fast. sorry. but we were all there holding her when she died. >> reporter: her father says she died just three days after being diagnosed with the flu. the symptoms quickly escalated into pneumonia. >> she got the kids' shots. my son-in-law being in the military didn't have any choice. he got his shots. and she didn't get her's. >> reporter: the flu now widespread in every state but hawaii. dozens of schools like this one in florida shutting down. the centers for disease prevention so far this year 37 children have died compared to just 8 at this time last year. but the cdc says it's the e

gabe gutierrez nbc news atlanta. >> a celebrity chef is parting ways with mgm at national harbor closed on tuesday. restaurant group tells new mutual. and they respect the new creative direction. samuelson one of three celebrity chefs to open restaurants back in 2016. a new rest haven't called conservator i cafe is going up in its place. >>> today may not be the best way to visit the national zoo, but next time you go visit newest restaurant 10-year-old tiger. he comes from the lincoln park zoo in chicago. first tiger at our zoo in 70 years. and it's estimated that only 360 of these beautiful creatures are left in the entire world. >> he is stunning. >>> all right. road side services, very busy today. the cold weather keeping cars from starting. a look at what you can do to prevent being stranded. >>> and another look at the feel like temperatures. some below zero. check us back after the break with when the cold wind wile main fire building and wind definitely had a part of it. wind will carry flames considerable distance. so, yeah, wind had a big effect. >>> that wind is what made a f

nbc gabe gutierrez has the story. >> reporter: this morning h&m is in major damage control after sparking widespread anger over this online ad. depicts a black child with the hoodie with the words coolest monkey in the jungle. many call tg blatant racism. swoop dog with a crown on the head saying the way i see it. lebron james posted similar picture saying h and mchl&m you all wrong and we are not going for it. h&m says we understand and deeply sorry the picture was taken and also regretd the actual print. h&m says it removed the online image and sweat shirt is no longer being sold. but says the hoodie still being sold overnight on the company's spanish site. r&b superstar the weekend who has collaborated with h&m in the past now cutting ties saying he was shocked and embarrassed by be working with h&m nir more. other retailers have stumbled with controversial ads. abercrombie was criticized for this, two wong, and zara came out with yellow star that said some looked like worn in the concentration camp. >>> some ask how it made it through it for a global leader. they said they'll look int

nbc's gabe gutierrez is there for us. hi, gabe, good morning to you. >> good morning this is just heartbreaking, we're hearing incredible stories of survival from yet another school shooting. as you mentioned, two students are dead, 18 others wounded. of those, three remain in the hospital, two in critical condition. >> clear the building, please! in the tech center. >> new video taken moments after it becomes clear there's an active shooter at kentucky's marshall county high school. then, panic as school officials rush terrified students to safety. now, we're learning the names of some of the young victims, state police say bailey nicole holt died at the scene. preston ryan cope passed away at the hospital. both just 15 years old. >> all of a sudden you heard the first one and the second one and third one. >> 17-year-old brian butler, his hands still shaking hours after the shooting was in the cafeteria, sitting down for breakfast when the first shots rang out. he barricaded himself in a classroom with other students. >>

here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: this is the day everyone wants 6-year-old rylan ward to remember. a little boy's dream, getting to ride in a fire truck up front. lights, sirens, the whole deal. >> i can't think of anybody who deserves it. he se defdeserves it if any kid. >> reporter: two months ago, when a gunman walked into the church and opened fire. 26 worshipers dead, and 20 wounded, including rylan, shot five times. two days later, his grandmother told me he would be fine. at the time, a hope, not a prognosis. >> his arm's messed up where he was shot. his lower intestine, his bladder, just goes on and on. >> reporter: it's a day that firefighter rusty duncan will never forget. he was one of the first on the scene. in the carnage, it wasn't that he found rylan. more like rylan found him. >> a little hand grabbed my pant leg. i saw his eyes looking up at me. and i knew i had to get him out of there. >> reporter: the firefighter and his family visited him often. and duncan promised the boy, when he was ready to go home, it would be in a fire truck. when that day finally arrived

gabe gutierrez has the latest if the cdc in atlanta. >> reporter: this morning flu he said dem sic hitting children especially hard. >> one of the hardest things i've ever had to do was tell my other children on saturday morning their little brother wasn't coming home. >> reporter: the cdc is reporting 20 pediatric deaths so far this season compared to three this time last year. in houston, texas children's hospital saw 17 times what it saw last year. this woman's son got sick even though he had gotten the flu shot. >> it was so aggressive. the flu hit him so hard. >> reporter: the flu is now widespread in 49 states. alabama's governor had declared a public health emergency. in mississippi, more than 100 nursing homes have had outbreaks. and in dekalb, georgia -- >> it's very bad. our wait times have gone up across the board. we don't have the staff to keep one the volume of the. >> reporter: the cdc. says avoid contact with sick people. they're most effective if taken within the first 48 hours of symptoms and most importantly, get flu shot. >> we know about 70 to 80% of the children that

nbc gabe gutierrez tells us more. >> from dubai to seoul. >> to hong kong. 2018 is already making a spectacular. >> for new year's, hoping to have a year full of love. help others where i can. >> scotland, with bag pipes. hungary took the plunge early. while even north korea puts on extrav gent sidney harbor lit up. as the rest of the world rings in the new year, police are on high alert in turkey. authorities have arrested more than 100 people with suspected links to isis mill atlantas. istanbul doubling the number of officers to prevent a repeat of last year when aattacker killed dozens at a nightclub. in germany, strategic terror security. >> 31,000 police officers in london. 8 million londoners. i would love them to be the eyes and ears of the police to keep us all safe. >> around the world, 2017 is now coming to a close with a cascade of lights. in japan, a celebration of new beginnings and letting go. gabe gutter resident, nbc news. >> it is a new year. that means day one for many of your 2018 resolutions. according to a poll, topless legal conclusion of 2018 is a tie between being a bett

for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news. >> love a story about the good ones. the good people, right? >> i think that was the morning boost actually. >> that could definitely qualify as a morning boost. you can never have too many boosts. >> here is a little one on the side. it is always exciting for parents when their baby starts talking, right? there is a british dad, tom webster, who was stunned when he tried to coax his 3-month-old son jensen to repeat after him. >> hello. >> hello. >> get out! that's got to be a fluke. >> tom and his wife laura made it a point to speak to jensen in normal english, they don't do the baby talk. they were still surprised, though, because he is the first child and they don't know when they're supposed to start talking back. but that was a nice little hello. >> that's early. 3 months. hello. cutie. >>> coming up, we have got rare access behind the scenes with the all female squad of air force officers who control and could launch our nation's nuclear weapons. >>> also ahead, the queen gets candid for first time about her coronation and what she says w

gabe gutierrez is on the scene. gabe, what have we learned? >> reporter: stephanie, good morning. authorities aren't publicly releasing the suspected shooter's name, he is a juvenile. but we're told that authorities do plan to charge him with counts of murder and attempted murder, that he was seen being taken from this school, from marshall county high school yesterday, in handcuffs. authorities have not confirmed a motive, but several, multiple students tell us he was a member of the school's band. i asked authorities last night whether bullying, whether they're looking at bullying as a potential motive. at this point they wouldn't comment. late last night authorities confirmed the names of the two students who died. 15-year-old bailey holt died at the scene. her family told us overnight, her aunt says she was a precious, precious soul and no parents should have to endure burying a child. preston cope, the other student who died, died at the hospital. the 15-year-old student barged in with a handgun and opened fire. some students told us of a harrowing experience. one student bar

gabe gutierrez has the latest. >>reporter: good morning. this year's dominant flu strain h 3 n 2 is particularly dangerous for the children and elderly. >> a little bit of a cold. >> reporter: this morning the flu epidemic is hitting children especially hard. near dateton ohio, this girl was 4 years old. >> one of the most difficult things i ever had to do was tell my children their little brother wasn't coming home. >>reporter: the cdc is now reporting 20 pediatric deaths this season. in houston, texas children's hospital saw 17 times as many flu patients last month than the previous december. this woman's son got sick even though getting a flu shot. >> it was so aggressive. >> the cdc says the flu is now widespread in 49 states. alabama's governor has declared a public health emergency. in mississippi more than 100 nursing homes have report the fluo flu outbreaks. >> you can tell that our -- we do not have the staff to keep up with the volume. >>reporter: the cdc says to protect yourself avoid contact with sick people and wash your hands,

nbc's gabe gutierrez reports. >> reporter: this morning, swedish-based retailer h & m is in major damage control after sparking widespread anger. a black child wearing a hoodie with the words, coolest monkey in the jungle. social media erupted in outrage. many calling it blatant race iffism. snoop dogg posted a investigation of the ad, with a crown, writing the way i see it. lebron james posted a similar picture, write h & m, you got us all wrong and we ain't going for it. h & m says we understand that many people are upset about the image. we are deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we also regret the actual print. h & m says it removed the online image is the sweatshirt is no longer being sold globally. nbc news found the hood ry was still being sold overnight on the company's spanish site. r & b superstar, the weekend, who has collaborated with h & m in past cutting ties she was shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i'm deeply offended and will not be working with h & m anymore. other retailers have struggled with controversial ads. am brom by and fitch was -- urban outfitters

gabe gutierrez is in benton. good morning. >> reporter: we're hearing incredible stories of survival from another school shooting. two teenagers have died. of the 18 that are wounded, 2 are in critical condition. >> in the building, please. >> reporter: this morning, new video taken just moments after it becomes clear there's an active shooter at kentucky's marshall county high school. and then, panic as students rush to safety. law enforcement officials praise the way the evacuation was handled. >> students did what they were trained. >> reporter: just months ago, marshall high went through active shooting training. >> reporter: bailey nicole holt died at the season. preston ryan cope died at the hospital, both just 15 years old. 17-year-old senior, brian butler, his hands shaking after the shooting, was in the cafeteria, just sitting down for breakfast when the first shot s rang out. he barricaded himself in a classroom with other students. >> you heard the first one, second one, third one. kids were scrambling

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the story for us this morning. gabe, good morning to you. >> savannah, good morning. the backlash was fierce and swift. celebrities from snoop dogg to lebron james slamming h & m for what critics are calling a tone-deaf ad. the company now says that it is pulling its controversial hoody from stores worldwide. >> reporter: this morning swedish based retailer h & m is in major damage control after sparking widespread anger over the on-line ad. it depicts a black child wearing a hoody with the words coolest monkey in the jungle. social media erupted in outrage. many calling it blatant racism. snoop dogg posted a version of the ad with a kroub on the boy's head writing the way i see it. lebron james posted a similar picture writing h & m, you got us all wrong and we ain't going for it. h & m says we understand that many people are upset about the image. we, who work as h & m, can only agree. we are deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we also regret the actual print. h & m said the sweat shirt is no longer being

here's gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: this is the day everyone wants 6-year-old rylan ward to remember. a little boy's dream, getting to ride in a fire truck up front. lights, sirens, the whole deal. >> i can't think of anybody who deserves it. he se defdeserves it if any kid. >> reporter: two months ago, when a gunman walked into the church and opened fire. 26 worshipers dead, and 20 wounded, including rylan, shot five times. two days later, his grandmother told me he would be fine. at the time, a hope, not a prognosis. >> his arm's messed up where he was shot. his bladder, just goes on and on. >> reporter: it's a day that firefighter rusty duncan will never forget. he was one of the first on the scene. in the carnage, it wasn't that he found rylan. more like rylan found him. >> a little hand grabbed my pant leg. i saw his eyes looking up at me. and i knew i had to get him out of there. >> reporter: the firefighter and his family visited him often. and duncan promised the boy, when he was ready to go home, it would be in a fire truck. when that day finally arrived -- >> he was ready to

nbc news' gabe gutierrez is at the cdc in atlanta. gabe, good morning. >> hoda, good morning. this year's flu season got off to an early start. it isn't expected to peak until next month. here at the cdc, they're not calling it an epidemic just yet, it's already shaping up to be the worst flu season since 2015. this morning a deadly string of the flu is sweeping the country. hospitals seeing a surge of sick patients. >> it's getting worse. >> reporter: the cdc says 46 states are now reporting widespread flu and more than 41,000 flu cases are being reported, nearly three times more than this time last season. california has been hit especially hard, at least 27 deaths there. people under 65 since the flu season began in okay. this hospital near san diego opening a triage tent to care for the flood of patients. emergency services stretched thin from omaha -- >> about 1200 positive for flu tests. about 4100 of which came in last week. >> reporter: to dallas. >> we are now seeing 12-to-15 cases per day of people calling 911 with flu-related conditions. that is a 611% increase. >>

gabe gutierrez has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: one family was from florida. the other from suburban new york. both on family vacations over the new year's holiday, that came to a tragic end. this morning, the grief is overwhelming. friends and family in scarsdale, new york, remembering the steinbe steinberg family. >> it's devastating. we were good friends with them. >> reporter: bruce, irene, and their three sons. >> very diverse, multitalented family that will be deeply missed. >> reporter: they were among the 12 people killed when a small, single-engine plane slammed into a mountain in costa rica. two local crew members and ten were onboard. including mitchell and leezly weiss, doctors from the tampa, florida, area. also, amanda gueisler, whose company organized the flight. she was loved by many. >> can you see all of the smoke? >> reporter: an eyewitness described what happened after the plane took off. >> it went up and all of a sudden, it beared to the left and nose dived right in front of us. >> reporter: the charter plane belonged to nature air. in se

gabe gutierrez has the story for us this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the backlash was fierce and swift. celebrities from snoop dogg to lebron james are slamming h&m for what critics are calling a stone deaf ad. this morning, swedish-based retailer h&m is in damage control, after sparking widespread anger over this online ad. it depicts a black child wearing a hoodie, with the words, social media erupted in outrage. snoop dogg posted a version of the ad, with a crown on his head. lebron james posted a similar picture. h&m say, many people are upset about the image. we're deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we regret the actual print. h&m says it removed the online image and the sweatshirt is no longer being sold globally. but nbc news found the hoodie was being sold overnight on the company's spanish site. the weekend, who has collaborated with h&m in the past, now cutting ties, tweeting he was shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i'm deeply offended and will not be working with h&m anymore. abercromb abercrombie & fitch was that said, two won

gabe gutierrez has that story for us. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is shaping up to be the worst flu zp rch and, swine flu epidemic and it is not letting up and now we're hearing a gut wrenching message from the family of one of the victims. the worst flu season in almost a decade is getting deadlier. here in annapolis, the family of 37-year-old carly slaven is heart brain. >> things just went downhill so fast. sorry. we were all there holding her when she died. >> reporter: her father says carly died just three days after being diagnosed with the flu. the symptoms quickly escalated into pneumonia. >> she got the kids shots. my son being in the military got his shots and she didn't get hers. >> reporter: the flu widespread in every state but hawaii. dozens of schools like this one in florida shutting down. the cdc says so far this year 37 children have died compared to just 8 at this time last year. but the scdc says it's the elderly most at risk followed by adults ages 56 to 64. doctors emphasize the best defense again virus even now is a flu s

nbc's gabe gutierrez has the latest on that investigation. gabe, good morning. >> hoda, good morning. one family was from florida. the other from suburban new york. both on family vacations over the new yoew year's holiday thae to a tragic end. >> this morning the grief is overwhelming. >> bruce, irene, zachary, william, and matthew. >> very multi-talented family that will be deeply missed. >> they were among the 12 people killed when a small single engine plane slammed into a mountain sunday in costa rica. two local crew members and ten americans were on board, including mitchell and leslie weiss, doctors from tampa, florida, area, along with their two children. also killed, amanda geisler from wisconsin, a trip leader with back roads active travel company. a california-based group that organized the flight. geiss ler's family writing that she was loved by many and lived her life with no regrets. >> oh, my god. like, it is -- it's right here. >> all of a sudden it veered to the left, and nosedived right in front of us. >> the charlotter plan

nbc's gabe gutierrez is in atlanta with the very latest on all that. good morning. >> reporter: hoda, good morning. gradys, atlanta's biggest hospital, this mobile emergency room is opening for the first time in part to deal with the flood of flu patients. grady's regular er usually saw more than 300 patients. well, one day last week it say more than 5 -- it saw more than 500. this morning across the country the outbreak is not loosening its grip and the race is on to get the flu shot. >> i thought now is a time to be a little bit more proactive. >> as mom i needed to get it done. >> reporter: the cdc said there's overall enough supply, but the skyrocketing need has prompted health care facilities to scramble. >> for us to be on our third order, just speaks to the demand that we have had. >> reporter: hospitals are taking drastic measures. this one in atlanta opening an er on wheels. 14 extra beds to help deal with the onslaught of sick patients. in new york the governor has declared a flu disaster allowing pharmacies to give the flu vaccine to childre

gabe gutierrez is at the cdc in atlanta. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this year's dominant flu strain is dangerous for children and the beelderly. there's been six-times as many pediatric deaths this flu season compared to the same period last year. this morning, the flu epidemic is hitting children especially hard. jonah near dayton, ohio, was just 4 years old. >> one of the most difficult things i've ever had to do was tell my other children on saturday morning that their little brother was not coming home. >> reporter: the cdc is reporting 20 pediatric deaths so far this season, compared to 3 at the same time last year. in houston, texas children's hospital saw 17-times as many flu patients last month as it did the previous december. this woman's son got sick even though he had gotten the flu shot. >> the flu hit him so hard. >> reporter: the cdc says the flu is widespread in 49 states. alabama's governor has declared a public health emergency. in mississippi, 100 nursing homes have declared fluo outbreaks. >> you can tell we do not have the staff to

an emotional interview with gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: good morning. the 15-year-old suspect not been publicly identified has been charged with murder. the family of the girl who was killed are showing remarkable poise as they share their heartbreaking loss. this morning for the parents of bailey holt, the grief is overwhelming. >> i will miss seeing her every morning before school and kiss her and tell her i loved her every morning before work. >> bailey and another student died when a student marched into the high school and opened fire. her parents say she loved music and art and wanted to be a nurse. >> she loved everyone. she never had a harsh word to say about anything or anyone. >> i would take her to the school and give her a kiss and tell her i loved her and she got out of the car. >> reporter: when you're hearing these gunshots what's going through your head at this time? >> to tell the honest truth the only thing was disappointment. why would this kid ruin his life and other people's lives. >> i was getting out and i knew i just needed to ru

gabe gutierrez has the story for us this morning. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the backlash was fierce and swift. celebrities from snoop dogg to lebron james are slamming h&m for what critics are calling a stone morning, swedish-based retailer h&m is in damage control, after sparking widespread anger over this online ad. it depicts a black child wearing a hoodie, with the words, coolest monkey in the jungle. social media erupted in outrage. snoop dogg posted a version of the ad, with a crown on his head. lebron james posted a similar picture. h&m say, many people are upset about the image. we're deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we regret the actual print. h&m says it removed the online image and the sweatshirt is no longer being sold globally. but nbc news found the hoodie was being sold overnight on the company's spanish site. the weekend, who has collaborated with h&m in the past, now cutting ties, tweeting he was shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i'm deeply offended and will not be working with h&m anymore. abercromb abercrombie & fitch was cr

this season is shaping up to be three times worse than last year emphasis nbc's gabe gutierrez. good morning. >> reporter: this year's dominant flu strain is particularly dangerous for children and the elderly. sadly, there have already been more than six times as many pediatric deaths so far this season compared to the same period last year. this morning the flu epidemic is hitting children especially hard. he was just four years old. >> one of the most difficult things i've ever had to do was tell my other children on saturday morning that their little brother wasn't coming home. >> reporter: the cdc now reporting 20 pediatric deaths so far this season compared to three at the same time last year. in houston, texas children's hospital saw 17 times as many flu patients last month as it did the previous december. this woman's son got sick even though he had gotten a flu shot. >> it was so aggressive, i mean the flu hit him so hard. >> reporter: it's widespread in 49 states. alabama's governor has declared a state of emergency. and in georgia. > it's very bad. our wait times have