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Flu activity is climbing in 44 states as Chicago-area doctors urge vaccination
Flu infections, hospitalizations and deaths are rising faster than they did last year, with activity increasing or likely increasing in 44 states by Oct. 21. Chicago-area emergency physicians urge residents to get vaccinated and take basic steps to limit spread.
Flu season is gaining momentum earlier than usual, and doctors in the Chicago area say emergency departments are seeing patients with fever, cough and trouble breathing as infections rise across the country.
As of Oct. 21, flu activity was growing or likely growing in 44 states, according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections began climbing as early as August, and cases, hospitalizations and deaths are increasing faster than at the same point last year.
Dr. Nicholas Cozzi of Rush University System for Health said people can reduce the risk of spreading flu by washing their hands, covering coughs and staying home from work or school when they have a fever. He also urged people to get vaccinated.
It takes about two weeks for a flu shot to reach full effectiveness, making timing important as infections spread. Vaccination cannot prevent every case, but Dr. Ryan Stanton of the American College of Emergency Physicians said it can lower the risk of severe illness, comparing the protection to wearing a seat belt.
Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and Infectious Diseases Society of America recommend flu vaccination for nearly everyone age 6 months and older. Flu can be especially dangerous for adults 65 and older, pregnant people, young children and people with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, or weakened immune systems.
The CDC has not updated its flu-vaccine advice this year amid a court dispute involving its independent vaccine advisory panel. Medical organizations have issued recommendations for their patients, along with information about the evidence behind them.
Researchers are also monitoring H1N1 flu after the CDC reported genetic changes in the strain. Scientists are studying what the changes could mean for spread and for protection from existing immunity. The Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group at the University of Minnesota, said flu vaccines reduced hospitalizations among older adults by 31% last season.