And since the flu season could last well into March or April, there’s still plenty of time for it to make a difference. There have been almost 500 deaths from pneumonia and influenza in Missouri since October.
“In the past few weeks there has been an increase in flu activity in Northern Ireland”. “Also, flu viruses change constantly”. The most recent statistics that include adults were from the week that ended December 16, when 6.7% of deaths reported to the National Center for Health Statistics were attributed to influenza and pneumonia.
Part of the reason the statistics look different in different states is that influenza is not a reportable disease, so there are no mandatory requirements for data collection, Thomas added.
The geographic spread of influenza in 36 states was reported as widespread.
So far 48 people have died as a result of flu this year, a rise from the 23 recorded last week.
Symptoms, the doctor said, often start with a spiked temperature.
The regions generally unaffected by flu right now are shown in blue while those shown in red indicate there has been a spike in cases. “It’s basically the infants and the older people we get concerned about, and if someone is immunocompromised, I would say”.
Locally, no deaths had been reported as of Thursday, but Kern County health providers have seen three severe influenza cases that have sent patients to intensive care units, Corson said.
Health officials do caution that the flu vaccine can take up to 10 days to be effective after it is administered.
Even though the flu seems to be hitting harder and earlier, health professionals say that it’s being treated no differently than in past years.
The most common strain of influenza this year is H3N2 (A), which was covered by this year’s flu vaccine.
“The effectiveness against that strain is 32 percent”, he said.
“The H3N2 part of the vaccine hasn’t been effective, but the other two it covers are reasonably effective”, Thomas said.
Babies over six months old, those over 65 years old and the chronically ill are especially susceptible.
Only shots are advised this year.
But below the neck, with symptoms like overall pain, a loss of appetite, and high fever; that is probably the flu and it means a person should stay home and recover.
“You should get a shot”, she said.
All pregnant women. The vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy.