County reports ?mild? flu season this year

BY BRYCE KELLY

Mt. Pleasant News

With the end of flu season in sight, Henry County will soon say goodbye to what has been a relatively tame year for influenza, otherwise known as the flu.

?It really has been a mild season for influenza,? said Travis Johnson, community health director for Henry County. ?Part of that I think has been attributed to the warmer winter we have had, and the fact that this year?s flu vaccine strain was highly successful.?

Within Henry County, the number of hospital admissions due to influenza and the number of school absences for flu-related illness was low compared to past years.

?During the week of Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, that?s when we saw our biggest spike in influenza cases, which also seemed to line up with national statistics,? reported Johnson.

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. The flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the upper and/or lower respiratory tract, and can cause serious illness, or in some cases, death.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), over a period of 31 seasons between 1976 and 2007, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the U.S. range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. During recent flu seasons, between 80 and 90 percent of flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years of age and older.

Flu season in the U.S. can begin as early as October and last as late as May, say CDC officials. However, according to local county health officials, March has historically been the month that southeast Iowa sees a significant drop in cases of the flu.

This year, Henry County Health Center (HCHC) alone administered over 1,000 flu vaccines, according to Johnson. While that number is slightly lower compared to past years, Johnson says it?s likely not because locals were shrinking away from getting vaccinated. And although last year, the availability of flu vaccines was lower at times, Johnson says HCHC?s supply of flu vaccine were almost consistently in stock this year.

?I think the reason we gave out fewer vaccines (this flu season) is because people are going other places to get vaccinated. There are more and more places that offer the vaccine locally, which is really great,? said Johnson.

Flu vaccines help the body by causing antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These positive antibodies within the vaccine provide defense against bodily infection. According to the CDC, everyone six months of age and older should get a flu vaccine every flu season.

At HCHC, there are two methods in which the flu vaccine may be administered. The first, and most traditional method is via an injection. The second, which Johnson says has become increasing popular, especially among children and those with a phobia of needles, is via a nasal spray.

Anyone between the ages of two and 49, who is generally healthy and not pregnant, is typically eligible for the nasal vaccine. However, it is recommended that patients consult with a trusted medical advisor before getting either the vaccination via injection or the nasal spray.

For more information about flu vaccines through HCHC, visit their website at www.hchc.org/communityhealth/immunizations.