The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hope that a flu outbreak sickening people across the country has begun to wane. However, the director of the CDC still cautions that we won’t know if this is indeed the case for a couple weeks, as it takes a little bit of time to quantify trends. And illnesses are still very much a threat across the country.
Here in California, things haven’t gotten too out of hand yet. Along with Maine, Montana, Connecticut, and Kentucky, California has had its flu activity designated as minimal. That’s not bad, considering that 24 states have been deemed high and an additional 16 have had their flu activity classified as moderate. Five more are low, and only three states haven’t reported any widespread occurrences of the illness.
Across the country, flu has led more than 3,710 people to submit to the hospital since the beginning of October. Those in the most danger are elderly persons, children, persons who have pre-existing conditions, and pregnant women.
However, the threat to such persons can be limited by getting a flu shot. It’s been estimated that submitting to a flu shot can prevent the flu from occurring in around 62% of exposures. Certain allergic persons, such as people who might have a reaction to eggs, should refrain from seeking a flu shot. Check with your doctor before getting one.