MA Flu Cases Still Climbing, State Says

Flu activity continues to increase in the United States, with the disease is now widespread in all but three states. According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 28 children have died from flu-related causes during the ongoing flu season.

Half the states, including Massachusetts, reported "high" flu activity in the last week, the CDC reported. More than9,000 cases have been confirmed, the state said, and at least two deaths have been reported.

The state said the rate of new infections had decreased slightly in the week ending Feb 8., as had the rate of hospitalization.

The H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) continues to be the predominant strain in most of the country while the H3N2 virus has predominated in the Southeast. FDA Director Scott Gottlieb has said that the H1N1 strain tends to peak late in the season but that the vaccine has a 60 percent effectiveness or more against it.

Early estimates from the CDC found that by mid-November 2018, 45.6 percent of children aged between 6 months to 17 years old had been vaccinated against the flu, an increase of 6.8 percent compared to early estimates from the previous season. For adults 18 and older, the CDC’s estimates showed that by mid-November, 44.9 percent had been vaccinated against the flu, an increase of 6.4 percent compared to early estimates from the previous season.

The latest figures released by the CDC on Friday are current for the week ending Feb.2. Between Oct. 1, 2018 through Feb.2, the CDC estimates that there have been between 13.2 million to 15.2 million flu illnesses in the United States, 6.2 million to 7.2 million flu-related medical visits and between 155,000-186,000 flu hospitalizations.

The only states not reporting widespread flu activity are West Virginia, Alaska and Hawaii. The geographic spread of flu activity does not measure the severity of the virus.

The CDC’s influenza-like-illness (ILI) surveillance measures the level of flu activity within a state. According to the latest ILI data, New York City and 24 states 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.

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.