Flu season is underway as cases rise in some areas and vaccines are delayed

NEW YORK (AP) — The flu season in the United States is already underway, with cases on the rise in much of the country, health officials said Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted sharp increases in several measures, including lab tests and emergency room visits.

“It has been increasing at a fairly steady rate over the last few weeks. So yes, we are certainly in flu season,” said Alicia Budd of the CDC.

Thirteen states reported high or very high levels of flu-like illness last week, about double the previous week. One is Tennessee, where an increase in illnesses is affecting the Nashville area, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University.

“The flu has been increasing, but just this last week it has spiked,” Schaffner said. He noted that at a local clinic that serves as an indicator of disease trends, up to a quarter of patients have flu symptoms.

Louisiana is another early hot spot.

“This week is really that tipping point where people are out because of the flu,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, an infectious disease doctor at the state’s largest private hospital, Our Lady Regional Medical Center. of the Lake in Baton. Rouge. ”You hear parents say, ‘I can’t go to work because of the flu,’ and ‘Where can I get a flu test?’”

Of course, there are a number of bugs that cause fever, cough, sore throat, and other flu-like symptoms. One is COVID-19. Another is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but can be dangerous for babies and the elderly.

The most recent CDC data show that COVID-19 hospitalizations have been declining since the summer. COVID-19 activity is moderate nationally, but high in the Midwest, according to CDC wastewater data.

Hospitalizations for RSV began to increase before the flu and are now showing signs of possible stabilization, but remain slightly more common than flu admissions. Overall, RSV activity is low nationally but high in the south, wastewater data show.

The CDC called the start of flu season based on several indicators, including lab results from patients in hospitals and doctors’ offices, and the percentage of emergency department visits that had a flu diagnosis upon discharge.

No flu strain appears to be dominant, and it’s too early in the season to know how good the flu vaccine will be, Budd said.

Last winter’s flu season was considered “moderate” overall, but it was long (21 weeks) and the CDC estimated there were 28,000 flu-related deaths. It was unusually dangerous for children, with 205 pediatric deaths reported. That was the highest number ever reported for a conventional flu season.

The long season was probably a factor, Budd said. Another factor was the lack of flu vaccines. Among children who died who were old enough to receive the flu vaccine (and whose vaccination status was known), 80% were not fully vaccinated. according the CDC.

Childhood vaccination rates are even lower this year. As of Dec. 7, about 41% of adults had received the flu vaccine, a rate similar to the same time last year. The percentage is the same for children, but for them that represents a drop compared to a year ago, when 44% were vaccinated against the flu, according to CDC data.

Vaccination rates are even lower against COVID-19, with about 21% of adults and 11% of children up to date.

Flu experts suggest everyone get vaccinated, especially as people prepare to attend holiday gatherings where respiratory viruses can spread widely.

“All those gatherings that are so moving and fun and joyful are also an opportunity for this virus to spread from person to person,” Schaffner said. “It’s not too late to get vaccinated.”

Still, Louisiana’s health department said in a statement Friday that it was actually stopping recommending flu and COVID-19 vaccines. One official wrote that the department’s most recent position is that people should talk to their doctors about whether vaccines make sense for them.

A department spokeswoman, Emma Herrock, did not respond to subsequent questions about the policy. State Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham previously expressed concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccines save lives and policies that discourage people from protecting themselves are irresponsibly dangerous, experts and public health advocates say.

“People are going to die because of this policy,” said Jennifer Herricks, founder of a group called Louisiana Families for Vaccines.

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Associated Press data journalist Nicky Forster contributed.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Scientific and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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This story has been corrected to show that COVID-19 activity is moderate nationally, not down.

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