According to health experts on Friday, the U.S. flu season has begun and cases are on the rise throughout a large portion of the nation.
Lab test and ER visit rates, among other metrics, have sharply increased, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 58 Oregonians were admitted to hospitals last week due to the flu.
For the past few weeks, it has been rising at a fairly constant rate. According to Alicia Budd of the CDC, we are undoubtedly in flu season at this point.
Last week, flu-like sickness was reported at high or very high levels in 13 states, roughly doubling from the previous week. One is Tennessee, where a surge of illnesses is affecting the Nashville region, according to Vanderbilt University infectious diseases specialist Dr. William Schaffner.
According to Schaffner, although the flu has been on the rise, it has really taken off in the past week. He pointed out that up to 25% of patients in a nearby clinic that tracks sickness patterns have flu-like symptoms.
Another early hot location is Louisiana.
According to Dr. Catherine O. Neal, an infectious diseases specialist at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, the state’s largest private hospital, this week is indeed that pivotal time when individuals are absent due to the flu. Parents often comment, “I have the flu and can’t come to work. Where can I get a flu test?”
Naturally, a variety of insects can induce flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, and sore throat. COVID-19 is one of them. Another is respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which can be harmful to young children and the elderly but is a common cause of cold-like symptoms.
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been on the decline since the summer, according to the most recent CDC statistics. According to CDC wastewater statistics, COVID-19 activity is high in the Midwest but moderate nationwide.
Hospitalizations for RSV began to increase before those for flu and appear to be leveling off, although they are still slightly more frequent than those for flu. According to wastewater statistics, RSV activity is generally low nationwide but high in the South.
Based on a number of factors, including the percentage of ED visits with a flu diagnosis at the time of discharge and test results for patients in hospitals and doctor’s offices, the CDC declared the start of flu season.
According to Budd, there doesn’t appear to be a dominant strain of the flu, and it’s too early in the season to predict how well the flu vaccine will work.
Although the flu season last winter was deemed moderate overall, it lasted for 21 weeks and the CDC predicted that 28,000 people died from the virus. With 205 pediatric deaths documented, it was exceptionally risky for kids. That figure was the highest for a typical flu season ever recorded.
Budd suggested the lengthy season was probably a contributing factor. Lack of flu shots was another factor. According to the CDC, 80% of the children who passed away who were old enough to receive flu shots and whose vaccination status was recorded were not fully vaccinated.
On Thursday, February 15, 2024, a flu vaccination sign is up outside a grocery shop in Glenview, Illinois. (AP Image/File: Nam Y. Huh)AP
This year, children’s vaccination rates are significantly lower. About 41% of people had been vaccinated against the flu as of December 7, which is comparable to the figure at the same time the previous year. According to CDC data, the percentage is the same for children, although it is lower than it was a year before, when 44% of them had received a flu vaccination.
About 21% of adults and 11% of children are currently vaccinated against COVID-19, which is an even lower rate.
As individuals get ready to attend holiday events where respiratory diseases can spread widely, flu doctors advise everyone to get vaccinated.
According to Schaffner, all those happy, enjoyable, and touching get-togethers also provide a chance for this illness to spread from person to person. Getting immunized is still possible.
However, in a statement released on Friday, Louisiana’s health department stated that it was really reversing its recommendation to prescribe COVID-19 and flu vaccinations. According to an official, the department’s most recent stance is that individuals should discuss whether the shots are necessary with their doctors.
Follow-up inquiries concerning the policy were not answered by Emma Herrock, a department spokesperson. Dr. Ralph Abraham, the state’s surgeon general, has previously voiced doubts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine’s efficacy and safety.
According to public health experts and campaigners, vaccines save lives, and policies that discourage people from getting protected are recklessly harmful.
According to Jennifer Herricks, founder of the organization Louisiana Families for Vaccines, people will perish as a result of this policy.
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