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Early Flu Season Has Officials Concerned
Posted 12/08/2012
The state has seen a high number of confirmed flu cases for so early in the flu season, some requiring hospitalization.
Department of Health Services spokesperson Tom Haupt(hawpt) says the numbers are revealing...
"....we've had 196 confirmed cases of influenza since October 1. That's quite a bit(higher) compared to previous years. Last year at this time we had 7 cases...."
He says there have been 48 hospitalizations which is surprising as in previous years they haven't seen people hospitalized prior to the first of January. Half of the hospitalizations were people over 65, with 6 less than one year old....
"....also of concern to us is that four pregnant women were not vaccinated and were hospitalized in the last ten days.....get vaccinated not just for yourself but whom you've been in contact with...."
Haupt says holiday travel and college students returning home can result in the illness spreading. He suggests college students seek vaccinations at their campus health services prior to leaving for the holiday break.
