Flu infections in San Diego County continue to outpace last year’s rate, county health officials said Wednesday.
For this year’s influenza season, the number of lab-confirmed cases as of Saturday was 607. The figure for the same time last season was 359.
Likewise, patients seeking treatment for flu-like ailments accounted for 9 percent of all emergency-room visits at local hospitals during the week that ended Saturday — three times the percentage from the previous week.
There have been no flu-related deaths reported so far, according to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency.
Public-health experts said there’s still time to get vaccinated against the disease: Flu infections tend to intensify in January and February in this region, and the flu season usually runs into late March or early April. It usually takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to produce enough antibodies against the virus.
But epidemiologists also have acknowledged that because of a viral mutation, this year’s vaccine doesn’t offer full protection against the dominant strain of influenza that’s circulating. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that this flu season will be a severe one.
Other ways to reduce the risk of infection include thorough and frequent hand-washing, use of hand sanitizers and careful cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, county health officials advise. They also urge people to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with their fingers, and to minimize the risk of contagion by staying home when sick.
For more information about local vaccination options, visit sdiz.org or call 211. People without health insurance may want to consider seeking a flu shot at one of the county’s immunization clinics.
For this year’s influenza season, the number of lab-confirmed cases as of Saturday was 607. The figure for the same time last season was 359.
Likewise, patients seeking treatment for flu-like ailments accounted for 9 percent of all emergency-room visits at local hospitals during the week that ended Saturday — three times the percentage from the previous week.
There have been no flu-related deaths reported so far, according to the county’s Health and Human Services Agency.
Public-health experts said there’s still time to get vaccinated against the disease: Flu infections tend to intensify in January and February in this region, and the flu season usually runs into late March or early April. It usually takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to produce enough antibodies against the virus.
But epidemiologists also have acknowledged that because of a viral mutation, this year’s vaccine doesn’t offer full protection against the dominant strain of influenza that’s circulating. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that this flu season will be a severe one.
Other ways to reduce the risk of infection include thorough and frequent hand-washing, use of hand sanitizers and careful cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, county health officials advise. They also urge people to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with their fingers, and to minimize the risk of contagion by staying home when sick.
For more information about local vaccination options, visit sdiz.org or call 211. People without health insurance may want to consider seeking a flu shot at one of the county’s immunization clinics.
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