ATLANTA — Family nurse practitioner Dr. Patrice Little tells Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln it’s concerning seeing the number of flu cases climb so early in the season.
“It’s a pretty bad flu season this year,” said Little.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging Georgians to get vaccinated against the flu right now. Flu activity is already widespread in Georgia.
“The single most effective way to prevent the flu is the flu vaccine. Everyone over the age of six months should get a flu vaccine,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health. “The holidays bring gatherings with family and friends and increase the likelihood of spreading the flu. Now is the time to get vaccinated.”
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Nearly 3 million flu cases have been reported nationwide, resulting in 23,000 hospitalization and 1,300 deaths.
The Georgia Department of Health reports 171 flu outbreaks have been reported and 655 hospitalizations.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against the flu, so it’s important to take preventive measures now.
New for this season, there are three flu vaccines recommended for individuals 65 years and older.
However, if you can’t get one of the quadrivalents, don’t delay getting vaccinated. Any flu vaccine is preferable to no flu vaccine.
TRENDING STORIES:
- A school employee forgot her purse in the restroom. She was fired and arrested for what was inside
- 1 person found shot near funeral home in southwest Atlanta, police investigating
- Police: 1 person dead after shooting at Chick-fil-A in southwest Atlanta
Flu vaccine is available at public health departments, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, neighborhood clinics and pharmacies. To find a location near you, click on https://www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/. Flu vaccine can be administered at the same time as COVID-19 vaccine, so it’s a good time to get your updated booster, too.
Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, chills and fatigue. One of the most pronounced flu symptoms is an overall feeling of achiness and malaise that comes on quickly.
In addition to the early arrival of flu, respiratory syncytial virus or RSV is also affecting a high number of Georgians, especially young children and older adults. RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes cold-like symptoms but can lead to lung inflammation and to pneumonia. It is especially serious in infants because of the small airways in their lungs. Call your healthcare professional if you or your child is having difficulty breathing, not drinking enough fluids or experiencing worsening symptoms. There is no vaccine for RSV.
There are, however, tried and true measures to help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV:
• Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and warm water.
Alcohol based gels are the next best thing if you don’t have access
to soap and water.
• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm to help prevent spread of the flu.
• Avoid touching your face as flu germs can get into the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes.
For information about flu and how to prevent it, log on to dph.ga.gov/flu. You can learn more about RSV at https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html.
Georgia weekly influenza reports can be found at https://dph.georgia.gov/flu-activity-georgia. The reports are updated on Friday.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
©2022 Cox Media Group
