(TNS) If you haven’t received your annual flu vaccine, you may not want to wait much longer. Kentucky is one of a dozen areas across the country seeing the highest level of influenza activity as of the start of December.
That’s according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which rated 11 states and the District of Columbia at the top of the “very high” category for flu spread for the week ending Dec. 3, using data from the Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network.
Across the U.S., nearly 26,000 people were admitted to hospitals in the latest reporting week with the flu, according to the CDC. Among the nationwide flu deaths this season are 21 children, including seven pediatric deaths in the last reporting week alone.
The U.S. is experiencing an early flu season this year, with climbing hospitalizations for serious infections. The seasonal virus is making its rounds as other illnesses also take off, including rising COVID-19 cases and a sharp uptick in RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) hospitalizations.
Peak flu season in Lexington typically runs from late January through early February.
According to the latest weekly flu update from the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the state counted at least 7,192 new cases from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, the latest reporting period. That number is included in the seasonal toll of 23,101.
Children between ages 1 and 10 account for the the largest number of cases.
The total is comprised of laboratory-confirmed cases, and officials, like those with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, stress that flu is more widespread in communities than confirmed case numbers indicate.
In an email on Dec. 7, the LFCHD reported there have already been six flu deaths in Lexington this season, and the area is experiencing more confirmed cases that previous seasons.
“The flu is hitting hard in Lexington: There are already more total lab-reported cases in the first 9 weeks this season than in the previous 3 years combined,” Kevin Hall, the agency’s communications officer, wrote.
Across the Bluegrass State, 29 people have died from the flu this season, including two younger than age 18. One additional Kentuckian has died from a flu and COVID co-infection.
Those most at risk for serious flu infections and potential hospitalization include those with pre-existing health conditions, older individuals and very young children.
As of Thursday, UK HealthCare in Lexington had 44 flu admissions, including 14 children. That number fluctuates frequently, but is up considerably since early November, when the hospital started to see an uptick in flu admissions.
Symptoms of the flu and prevention steps
Common symptoms of the flu include:
Fever/feeling feverish or chillsCoughSore throatRunny or stuffy noseMuscle or body achesHeadachesFatigueVomiting and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)
If you suspect you have the flu, health officials suggest getting tested by a medical provider and otherwise staying home to prevent spreading the virus to others. If you test early enough, you may be able to receive anti-viral medication to help treat the flu.
Home treatment includes staying hydrated, taking fever-suppressants if needed or other medications to treat symptoms and resting.
Tips to help prevent catching the flu include frequent hand-washing, covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, wearing a mask in public and avoiding touching your mouth and nose.
“Vaccination for influenza and COVID is the most important prevention strategy,” Dr. Sean McTigue, medical director for pediatric infection prevention and control with Kentucky Children’s Hospital, wrote in a Nov. 15 email to the Herald-Leader.
Dr. McTigue said this year’s dominant flu strain is “a very good match for this year’s vaccine, making the vaccine particularly effective.”
All individuals ages 6 months and older can receive a flu vaccine, which is readily available from health care providers, at pharmacies or through local clinics. You can find a vaccine near you using vaccines.gov.
The LFCHD offers the flu vaccine free of charge at its public health clinic at 650 Newtown Pike Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To make an appointment, call 859-288-2483.
As of Nov. 26, the CDC reports nearly 155 million doses of the flu vaccine have been administered in the U.S. this flu season.
(By Jackie Starkey, Lexington Herald-Leader)
