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Flu Activity Expands; Severity Similar to Past H3N2 Seasons
January 05, 2015
CDC recommends vaccination and rapid treatment with antiviral drugs for people at high risk from flu
Flu continues to expand its reach in the United States this season, with the latest CDC FluView report showing that 43 states are experiencing either high or widespread flu activity, mostly resulting from circulation of drifted H3N2 viruses. Patient visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness (ILI) are now almost even with the peak of 2012-2013 season, the last time H3N2 viruses predominated. Relatively higher flu hospitalization rates seen so far this season are similar to what has been observed during some past H3N2-predominant seasons. CDC continues to encourage influenza vaccination and prompt treatment with flu antiviral drugs for people at high risk of serious flu complications, including people 65 and older, children younger than 5 years (and especially those younger than 2 years), pregnant women and any person with certain health conditions.For the week ending December 27, 2014, ILI visits accounted for 5.9% of all clinic visits, and had been elevated for 6 consecutive weeks. For the past 13 seasons, ILI has remained elevated for between 1 and 19 weeks each season, with an average of 13 weeks.
Also for week 52, overall flu-related hospitalizations were 12.6 per 100,000 people, which is comparable to the 13.3 per 100,000 overall hospitalization rate seen during the same week of the 2012-2013 season, but higher than the 8.9 per 100,000 rate observed during week 52 of 2013-2014, which was an H1N1-predominant season. Hospitalization rates are almost always highest among people 65 years and older. During week 52 this season, the hospitalization rate for people 65 and older was 51.8 per 100,000 people. During week 52 of the 2012-2013 season, the hospitalization rate for people 65 and older was 52.8 per 100,000. During 2013-2014, it was 16.4 per 100,000. Hospitalization rates are cumulative, so this season’s rates will likely continue to rise. The end-of-season hospitalization rate for people 65 and older during 2012-2013 was 183.2 per 100,000.
Additionally, another 6 flu-associated pediatric deaths are being reported this week, bringing the total number of flu pediatric deaths that have been reported this season to 21. With the exception of the pandemic, the number of flu-associated pediatric deaths has ranged from 37 to 171 since 2004-2005, when pediatric flu deaths became nationally reportable.
CDC continues to recommend flu vaccination even when there are drifted viruses circulating because the vaccine can still prevent infection and also prevent serious flu-related complications in many people. Anyone who has not gotten vaccinated yet this season should do so now. This includes people who may already have gotten the flu this season because flu vaccines protect against three or four different viruses and it’s possible that other viruses will circulate later in the season. It’s fairly common for there to be two waves of flu activity during a season, the second wave is often caused by an influenza B virus. The Flu Vaccine Finder may be helpful locating vaccine.
Flu shots for children and pregnant women are offered at the DOH-Charlotte Office located at 1100 Loveland Blvd.
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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