Status Of Viral Influenza Activity This Season

Status Of Viral Influenza Activity This Season.
Although winter hasn't even arrived, the before all signs of flu condition have, US healthfulness officials said Friday. In fact, Georgia is conjunctio in view of a marked increase in influenza cases, mostly among school-aged children, with the phase calling it a regional outbreak ante health. The Georgia cases may be an antiquated sign of what's in store for the rest of the country once flu time really gets under way in the winter, officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

But there's adequate news, too: the flu strains circulating so far seem to be a closely guarded link for this season's vaccine and next week has been designated by the CDC as National Influenza Vaccination Week. "Flu is coming," Dr Anne Schuchat, big cheese of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during an afternoon urgency conference. "This diminution has begun counterpart so many influenza seasons, with less few flu viruses circulating through the end of November".

However, last season's H1N1 flu pandemic was very another from what is usually seen and people shouldn't be complacent because flu hasn't roared back yet. Schuchat respected that this year's flu vaccine is designed to belligerence the H1N1 pandemic strain, as well as strains H3N2 and influenza B.

In Georgia, influenza B is the descendants that is being seen most vindicate now. "The best part of B viruses from Georgia are related to the B virus that is in our vaccine, so we contemplate the vaccine to be a good match against this B strain that is already causing perfectly a bit of disease". The vaccine is also a salubrious match for the other flu strains seen so far, including H1N1, H2N2 and the influenza B virus.

Schuchat believes that all Americans, exclude children under 6 months of age, should get a flu shot. "I strongly promote kin to get vaccinated to make sure you're protected and to frame sure your children are protected too". Children under 9 years of ripen may need two doses of the vaccine to be protected.

Many Americans may be heeding the CDC's vaccination communication this year. "We are encouraged by the thousand of people who have already received the flu vaccine". According to an intercession survey, as of mid-November about a third of Americans had already been immunized. Another 15 percent said they planned to get vaccinated and 25 percent said they in all probability would get vaccinated. That's about the same as in year.

The highest quota of people who have been vaccinated are those 65 and older, with about 64 percent of vaccinations occurring all seniors, according to the survey. In other CDC surveys, the power found that 56 percent of health-care workers reported having gotten their flu shot. Another 7 percent chart to get vaccinated.

Among parturient women - a assort hit especially hard by H1N1 definitive flu season - 45 percent said they had already been vaccinated and another 4 percent said they planned on getting the shot. This year the vaccine is close by at information levels, with more than 160 million doses already distributed.

Speaking at the info conference, Dr Howard Koh, helpmate secretary for health in the US Department of Health and Human Services, said that "flu endeavour is increasing across the country. If you've been evaluation about getting vaccinated for influenza, now is a well-proportioned time to do so".

The flu is unpredictable and potentially deadly, so one and all should get a flu shot. Koh noted that under the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, all different form insurance plans will cover flu shots, with no co-pays. According to CDC estimates, approximately 5 percent to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year, and more than 200000 men and women are hospitalized for flu-related complications product. From 1976 to 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths ranged from a downcast of about 3000 to a intoxicated of about 49000 people.