Bad flu season ahead
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 7:34 p.m.
State officials encourage residents to get flu shots because the season is off to its earliest start in a decade and is expected worsen.
Nationwide, flu season begins in October and typically runs through April. In Louisiana, flu begins appearing around Christmas, and the season usually peaks in February.
But this year, Louisiana is one of five Southern states experiencing higher-than-normal flu activity, said Dr. Connie Gistand, regional medical director with the state Department of Health and Hospitals.
Officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they are concerned the early start means this flu season will be a bad one. In addition, the dominant flu strain officials are seeing is particularly aggressive.
Flu is caused by a virus that infects the respiratory system, resulting in fever, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. While most people who get the flu can treat the disease at home with rest and medication, it can be more serious for others. The flu can cause secondary infections such as pneumonia and even death. Every year, as many as 36,000 Americans die from the flu and its complications.
“We each have a responsibility to protect ourselves and our loved ones from getting or spreading the flu,” said Bruce D. Greenstein, Department of Health and Hospitals secretary. “The simplest and most important precaution is to get vaccinated. It is safe, effective and readily available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and health units statewide. So find a location near you, and get your protection from this serious and potentially fatal illness today.”
Parish President Charlotte Randolph got her flu shot Wednesday at the Lafourche health unit in Thibodaux to kick off the state's vaccination campaign. This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week, Gistand said, and the state uses “celebrity guests” like Randolph to highlight the importance of getting vaccinated.
Randolph said she gets vaccinated every year.
Gistand said the flu vaccine not only protects you but those around you. If you get vaccinated, you're less likely to contract the flu and spread it to others. While the CDC encourages everyone older than 6 months to get the flu vaccine, some people are at higher risk of developing complications. Those include:
-- Children ages 6-23 months.
-- Adults 65 and older.
-- People who have chronic medical conditions such as obesity, asthma, diabetes and heart or lung illnesses.
-- Pregnant women.
-- Residents in nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
-- Health care workers.
-- People who care for children younger than 6 months.
Parents should take particular care to make sure children get their flu shots.
Flu can spread easily in schools, where children are packed together in tight quarters for most of the day. Twenty-eight percent of school-age children get sick from the virus each year.
For every 100 children who get the flu, 25 of their family members will come down with it within three days.
“Above and beyond a health issue, this is a productivity issue,” Randolph said. “When people get sick, they have to miss work, and our children must miss school. There are many reasons why it is important to get the flu shot.”
During last year's flu season, 56.6 percent of Louisiana children 6 months to 17 years old received the flu vaccine, which is above the national average of 51 percent, but health officials hope to increase that number this season.
Just because you got a vaccine last year doesn't mean you're covered this year, warned Dr. Frank Welch, state immunization director.
“The flu virus mutates every year, making each flu season different, and medical professionals have to alter that year's vaccine to protect people against the virus strains that pose the biggest threat,” Welch said. “This is why it's important for people to remember to get their shots every flu season.”
Flu vaccines cost $10 at parish health units, but Medicaid, Medicare and most insurance providers will cover the cost because it's less expensive than getting hospitalized with the illness, said Laurie Lapeyrouse, immunization program supervisor at the Thibodaux health unit.
While the flu shot is the best protection, there are a number of things you can also do to keep from getting sick. Cover your nose or mouth when you sneeze. Also, wash your hands often with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Most importantly, if you get sick, stay home until your fever has been gone for at least 24 hours. That will prevent you from spreading the illness to others.
Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or email@example.com.
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