Flu Season is in Full Swing - It’s not too late to get a flu shot
1/18/2018
Poplar Bluff, MO-January 17, 2018 – As doctor’s offices, urgent care centers and hospitals are seeing, flu
season is active, with hospitalization rates close to what they were two years ago. Flu is one of the
nation's leading causes of death, with roughly 24,000 people a year dying from flu and its complications.
Latest figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show the flu hitting hard
in all but seven states.
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center has seen a growing number of flu-symptomatic patients in the
emergency room since December. Numerous patients have also been admitted for treatment of flurelated
complications.
While health officials fear this will be an unusually bad year for flu, it's too soon to say. The timing of the
flu is unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Flu activity
most commonly peaks in the U.S. between December and February but can continue as late as May.
The good news: it’s not too late to get the flu shot. Even if the flu season peaks soon, it will still be
around for months.
"Vaccination is the simplest step you can take to protect yourself," said John Hunt, MD a Family Practice
physician. "More often than not, the patients I see who have the flu did not take this action to protect
themselves or their family."
There are three main things you can do to be safe this flu season:
- Vaccinate. Get the flu shot for yourself and everyone in your family. It’s available at your
doctor’s office and many urgent care centers in our area, with many offering same-day
appointments. The CDC recommends everyone older than six months, except people with
severe egg allergies, get immunized. Both shot and nasal spray vaccine forms are safe and
effective and rarely have side effects.
- Get Treatment. If you do get the flu, your doctor or an urgent care center can prescribe antiviral
medication to treat flu illness and prevent serious flu complications. Children, the elderly,
pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to catching the flu
and experiencing complications. It’s important to treat high-risk individuals promptly to avoid
hospitalization. Treatment with antiviral medication works best when begun within 48 hours of
getting sick, but can still be beneficial when given later in the course of illness. These drugs can
also lessen serious flu complications.
- Prevention. Stay away from sick people and wash your hands frequently to reduce the spread of
germs. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and resist touching your eyes, mouth and
nose. Avoid close contact with people who have the flu or symptoms and if you’re sick with the
flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading it to others.
“Though this year’s flu vaccination is not a perfect tool, it’s the best way to protect against flu infection,”
said Dr. Hunt. "Caregivers at our clinics and hospital take the safety of our patients seriously, and we’ve
had a high participation rate with voluntary vaccination efforts among our clinicians and physicians."
To find a primary care doctor visit the “Find a Doctor” link on the home page or call 855-444-PBRMC.
Back