Flu activity increasing in Southwest Georgia

ALBANY — Flu activity is picking up ahead of the season’s peak while it appears that this year’s vaccine might not be as effective this year as initially hoped for, making the need to keep preventative measures in mind all the more important.

Activity has increased statewide, with the Southwest Georgia area being no exception.

“We are seeing a high number of positive influenza tests,” said Jacqueline Jenkins, epidemiologist for the Southwest Public Health District. “We are seeing increasing flu activity locally.”

Jenkins said activity has picked up since early November, during which time public health officials in the area were reporting a 100 percent increase in respiratory-related hospitalizations from one week to the next. That was the same time officials in Southwest Georgia confirmed that a woman living in the district had been the first flu-related fatality in the state for this influenza season.

“Compared to (the same time) last year, we are the same,” Jenkins said. “We are farther into (the flu season) so we are seeing more now.

“This was anticipated, given it was the beginning of the season.”

While unable to give specific numbers, a spokeswoman at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital said the hospital has seen a significant increase in confirmed flu cases in the last week or two. That kind of activity typically happens about this time every year, she said.

Jenkins said there have been clusters reported in schools in Dougherty County as well as in other counties within the 14-county Southwest Public Health District.

“We are seeing a lot of children out with possible flu-like illness,” the epidemiologist said. “Mostly, it is Influenza A.

“Based on how things are going, we expect to see more increases of flu. If we are alerted of clusters, we send out letters and we work with school nurses (to improve on) hand hygiene and (to encourage) flu vaccines.”

Of the flu cases reported so far, some patients had been inoculated and some had not. Sentinel providers have sent samples of flu to the state, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention characterized those samples with the results of those findings being released Wednesday.

The advisory concerning those results, distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network on Wednesday, showed that 48 percent of the Influenza A cases (H3N2) viruses collected and analyzed in the United States from Oct. 1-Nov. 22 were antigenically like this year’s H3N2 vaccine component, but that 52 percent were antigenically different from the H3N2 vaccine virus.

This indicates that this year’s vaccine might have decreased effectiveness than anticipated, but officials are still urging people to get vaccinated as the shot can still help against what the CDC calls “drifted viruses.”

“It can help with the mutations we are seeing,” Jenkins said.

The vaccine contains three or four viruses depending on whether it is trivalent of quadrivalent. During the ending Nov. 22, 91.4 percent of flu-positive tests reported to the CDC were Influenza A, the agency said.

If a person gets the flu after receiving the shot, it is typical for them to have a milder case.

Antivirals, of greatest benefit within 48 hours of symptom onset, are out there for people who get the flu. Aside from the vaccine, handwashing, proper cough etiquette and social distancing when a person is sick helps to decrease the spread of flu. Children younger than age 2, adults 65 and older, people with certain chronic conditions or immunosuppression, women who are pregnant or less than two weeks postpartum, those younger than age 19 receiving long-term aspirin therapy and residents or those working in nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities are among those at highest risk for flu.