Why state health officials are still urging Vermonters to get flu vaccinations

Flu outbreaks are on the rise statewide, leaving children especially vulnerable, and health officials want Vermonters to know that it’s not too late to get vaccinated.

Vermont has seen an average number of flu outbreaks this season, according to Vermont Health Department statistics released on Monday. But, five of the 11 outbreaks occurred within the past week. An outbreak is defined as two or more confirmed cases of the flu, arising within an institution like a school, child care center, or nursing home.

“That’s something for parents to know — if your child hasn’t been vaccinated it’s not too late, it’s still a good idea to vaccinate,” said Patsy Kelso, an epidemiologist at the Health Department.

Children and the elderly are especially at risk of experiencing severe flu symptoms. This year’s dominant strain nationwide has been swine flu, which Kelso called the H1N1 virus. That strain impacts young people most severely.

Vermont’s flu activity ranked around the middle of the pack nationwide, according data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected through the end of December. Without accounting for Vermont's spike in cases, the southern states experienced the most severe outbreaks. 

“It’s pretty typical,” Kelso said. “For this time of year, we’re in about the same place we were at last year in terms of how widespread the flu activity is in Vermont.”

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The state provides vaccines for kids at no cost, and Kelso said that 62,000 doses have already been distributed. Those free pediatric vaccines can be obtained at any primary care provider, or at your local health department district office.

A ‘tricky’ vaccination and a lengthy flu season

Peak flu season typically lasts between December and February, but cases can drag on well into the spring. Even though the flu rears its ugly head every year, Kelso said that Health Department officials spend a lot of their time convincing skeptical citizens that getting vaccinated is really worth it — and rebutting the myth that the flu shot itself can get you sick.

“What happens sometimes is people feel fine, they get their flu vaccine, and a couple days later they come down with symptoms of the flu,” Kelso said. “That’s simply because it is in fact the flu that’s making them symptomatic — they were exposed to someone before they got vaccinated. It’s not that the vaccine gave them the flu.”

What’s “tricky” about the flu shot, Kelso explained, is that “it’s not the most effective vaccine.” Unlike the vaccines for measles or Hepatitis A, which are highly effective, the effectiveness of the flu shot can vary from year to year.

But even if you do get sick, health officials stress that vaccinations can reduce the severity and duration of illness, as well as the chances that you’ll need to be hospitalized because of the flu.

For more information about the flu in Vermont, visit the flu section of the Vermont Health Department's website. Also, find information about flu symptoms and trends in the U.S, on the CDC and Prevention website.

Follow Nick Garber on Twitter at @nick__garber.