Flu Worsening In Ohio, Officials Want Residents Vaccinated

Nearly 900 people have been hospitalized because of the flu in Ohio this season, the Ohio Department of Health announced. Health officials are urging residents to get a flu shot before this flu season gets even worse.

“Flu vaccination is the safest and most effective way to prevent the flu which can lead to missed work and school, and cause other serious health complications,” said Ohio Department of Health Medical Director Dr. Clint Koenig. “Pregnant women, young children and people who already have serious medical conditions are especially at risk for serious complications from the flu.”

Flu activity is widespread for the first time this season in Ohio, the ODH said. In the first week of January alone, there were 383 people hospitalized because of the flue. Compare that to the entire month of December 2018 when there were only 166 flu-related hospitalizations.

Northeast Ohio continues to be the hardest hit region in the state — with 93 hospitalizations because of the flu.

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Nationally, the flu has continued to spread.

Three children in the U.S. died from flu-related causes in the first week of 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu is now considered widespread in 30 states and the H1N1(swine flu) strain is predominant in most of the country while the H3N2 strain is predominant in the southeast.

FDA Director Scott Gottlieb said in a public statement that the H1N1 strain tends to peak late in the flu season. However, Gottlieb said the flu vaccine is “generally good” against H1N1 strains and has a 60 percent effectiveness or more.

“It’s not too late to get vaccinated,” Gottlieb said. The latest numbers provided by the CDC are current as of Jan.5 for the 2018-19 flu season.

The CDC’s influenza-like-illness (ILI) surveillance measures the level of flu activity within a state. According to the latest ILI data, 15 states and New York City have high flu activity. However, the ILI surveillance does not measure geographic spread so the CDC cautions that outbreaks in a single city could cause a state to have high flu activity. In the preceding week that ended Dec. 29, the ILI data showed that 19 states had high flu activity.

The flu can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death. The groups most at risk are older adults, very young children, pregnant women and those with certain chronic medical conditions, according to the CDC.

You can use the CDC’s flu vaccine finder to locate a pharmacy or clinic near you that provides the vaccine:

According to the CDC, symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills (Though not everyone with flu will have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

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