Taking Flu Season Seriously
Despite several years of mild flu seasons, complications from flu still kill more than 30,000 people a year and hospitalize many more. This year, supplies of vaccine are adequate and health officials are encouraging more people to get vaccinated.
Friday, October 17, 2003
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Durham, N.C. -- Even though we've had relatively low levels of influenza
outbreaks in the U.S. for the past several years, health officials
say flu is nothing to sneeze at. Justine Strand, a physician
assistant in the Department of Community and Family Medicine at
Duke University Medical Center, says flu is still a serious,
potentially life-threatening disease.
"We've all been afraid of West Nile virus, Encephalitis virus and SARS. Certainly these are all serious public health problems, but they don't come anywhere near the level of threat that we are all faced with from the flu potentially, particularly those groups that are risk."
Strand identifies groups at risk as people over age 50 and anyone with chronic respiratory problems or diabetes, among others. She says vaccine is available at clinics, health departments, pharmacies, as well as at other community locations. And she says, don't worry: This year, there's plenty to go around.
"We've had shortage problems the past couple of years. That is not the case this year. They have absolutely an adequate supply for those at risk and those other folks who would like to get the flu vaccine."
I'm Cabell Smith for MedMinute.
