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CDC reports shows widespread flu activity in Georgia

ATLANTA — A new report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows widespread flu activity in Georgia.

While some say this year's vaccine is not as effective, doctors say it is still your best bet to stay healthy.

Family practice doctor Charmille Hare with Piedmont Physicians says everything is a risk-benefit ratio. She said not getting a flu shot for children or those older than 65 is not a risk worth taking.

“Patients have the risk of getting pneumonia even from not getting the flu shot then getting actual flu,” she said.

The New England Journal of Medicine published this week that current vaccines are only 10 percent effective against this year’s main H3N2 strain.

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Despite that, Hare said babies as young as 6 months should get a flu shot and especially people who have medical conditions, heart disease, diabetes and lung conditions. Hare said those people need to make sure they get the flu shot every year.

A new weekly report from the CDC updates flu activity across the county. It shows the southeast as a hotbed for flu activity.

Georgia shows moderate activity with the flu virus being widespread. Louisiana leads the U.S.

It shows high activity and the virus is widespread.

Many people say they don’t get the shot because they don’t want to get the flu.

“There’s no risk of getting flu from the flu shot. It is not a live virus. It’s a killed virus and so it’s supposed to help your body fight the virus itself by having this exposure with the flu vaccine,” Hare said.

Hare advised people with Guillaine-Barre Syndrome, those who have bad reactions to the shot in the past and those that are allergic to eggs to not get the vaccine.