Nearly 150 million doses of flu vaccine will be produced this year, or 17 million more than during 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Michigan is reporting “minimal” cases of the flu, according to the latest available statistics from the CDC.
Annually, about 36,000 people die from influenza in the United States. However, states are not required to report deaths from flu for those older than 18 and many who have the flu have a complication listed as cause of death on death certificates, the CDC said.
The Michigan Department of Community Health says it has confirmed the first 12 cases of flu or influenza in the state this flu season.
There are nine cases of influenza B virus, two of influenza, also known as the H3N2 virus, and one case of influenza A, or H1N1.
Cases were reported in Oakland, Berrien, Huron, Saginaw and Washtenaw counties. Identities of patients are not released.
Symptoms usually start suddenly with fever, headache, body aches, fatigue, cough, runny nose, chills and sore throat.
After one is exposed to flu, it takes one to three days to develop symptoms. And, after contracting the flu, it can spread to others from one day to seven more days after a person becoming ill, Oakland County Health Department officials said Thursday.
Health department officials cautioned, however, it is too early to tell what influenza viruses will circulate during the season and how severe the influenza season will be this year.
The flu season generally starts in the fall and peaks in late January or early February, officials said.
Michigan Department of Community Health Director James Haveman said the flu vaccine is the “single best way” to protect against the illness.
Children are the biggest carriers of flu because they are around so many people, including peers to teachers, from siblings to adults to grandparents, the CDC says.
In 1980, Japan started requiring the influenza vaccine to be administered to all school-age children. They wound up vaccinating 80 percent of all students through the program and found that the number of flu deaths were four times lower than previous years, especially among the elderly.
State and federal officials recommend annual flu shots for those 6 months and older. Those at highest risk for serious flu complications include adults 50 and older, children between 6 months and 4 years, pregnant women and people with certain pulmonary health conditions such as asthma.
There’s ample supply of vaccination this year, officials said.
For information on the flu, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2012-2013.htm. You also can call the county health department at 248-858-1406 or toll free 800-848-5533.