JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - Flu season is upon Mississippians, and state health officials are advising people to get a flu shot to help prevent the illness.
Today, December 4, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported its first laboratory-confirmed case of influenza for the 2018-2019 flu season. The case was reported in an adult. A location was not provided.
“While flu cases have been diagnosed and treated by healthcare providers throughout the state already this season, this is the first case confirmed in the MSDH Public Health Laboratory, detected through the Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Sentinel Surveillance System.”
Health officials are urging Mississippians to get a flu shot.
“The flu shot takes one to two weeks to produce immunity, and flu season usually peaks in January through March in Mississippi,” said MSDH Interim State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.
Dobbs says an estimated 80,000 adults died nationwide last year from the flu.
“Those particularly at risk for influenza complications include young children, adults 65 and older, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses,” Dobbs continued.
Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle and body aches and fatigue.
Although state health officials are urging people to get a flu shot, basic etiquette such as covering the mouth when coughing and sneezing, staying at home when children are sick, and washing hands frequently is recommended.