CDC Says Flu Activity Widespread In Indiana

ACROSS INDIANA — The CDC's most recent Morbidity and Mortality Report shows influenza activity in Indiana as minimal, but widespread. This follows an update to the CDC's report two weeks ago that shared the U.S. could expect to see an increase in influenza activity in the coming weeks, including the Hoosier state. While it's difficult to predict when flu activity will peak in the U.S., the CDC said after low flu activity in October, cases have been increasing since early November.

In Indiana, two influenza-related deaths have been reported so far in the 2017 season, which began Oct. 1. That is one more death since the last report update by Patch on Dec. 11, and fell in the age groups of five to 24 and 50 to 64.

As of Dec. 16, nine children have died of flu nationwide this season, according to the report, and more than 1,772 people have been hospitalized.

While the state currently is reporting slightly fewer cases of influenza in comparison to the 2014-2015 flu season, there are more deaths and more cases than this week during the 2016-2017 flu season. There have already been 98 confirmed flu cases since Oct. 1, according to the state's Dec. 2 weekly flu summary.

Latest #FluView report says flu activity continues to increase in the U.S. https://t.co/d7ZpbN4Iaw pic.twitter.com/cPUn0pPdnY
— CDC Flu (@CDCFlu) December 20, 2017

Flu activity in the U.S. generally begins as early as October and can last as late as May. According to the CDC, flu activity generally peaks sometime between December and February.

For the week ending Dec. 2, Indiana reported "local" flu activity, two steps down from "widespread" activity, it's current status of activity. Today, Indiana is seeing outbreaks of flu or increased influenza-like illness, including recent laboratory confirmed influenza, throughout different regions, according to the CDC.

The CDC also reported that several indicators used to measure flu activity were higher than is typically seen for this time of year.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming flu season:

Get Your Flu Shot

The CDC says getting a flu shot is currently the most effective method of avoiding the flu. While vaccine effectiveness can range from season to season, the CDC says a majority of cases reported so far — while small — have been characterized as being similar to the recommended 2017-18 Northern hemisphere flu vaccine components. According to the CDC, this suggests that getting vaccinated should provide similar protection as past seasons.
The CDC recommends getting your flu shot by the end of October as it takes two weeks for antibodies to develop that protect against the flu. Getting vaccinated later is still beneficial, the CDC says.

Difficult To Tell Which Flu Strain Will Dominate The Season

The CDC says it is difficult to determine what flu virus will dominate the season but flu vaccine is less effective against the currently circulating A(H3N2) virus. In past flu seasons when A(H3N2) has dominated, hospitalizations and deaths were more common. Influenza A viruses have been most commonly identified since Oct. 2017 with A(H3N2) viruses predominating, according to the CDC.

RELATED: Flu Activity On The Rise In Indiana: CDC

Looking To Flu Season In Australia

A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday says that reports from Australia about the flu season there have caused mounting concern for what might be in store for the U.S. The flu season in Australia saw record-high numbers of confirmed flu cases and outbreaks and higher-than-average hospitalizations and deaths.
The A(H3N2) virus dominated in Australia and the preliminary estimate of vaccine effectiveness against the strain was only 10 percent, the NEJM reports.

"The implications for the Northern Hemisphere are not clear, but it is of note that the vaccine for this upcoming season has the same composition as that used in the Southern Hemisphere," the journal said.

Still, the NEJM says that while the flu vaccine may be imperfect its always better to get vaccinated than not to get vaccinated.

Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff, contributed to this report.

More: @CDCFlu, cdc.gov and in.gov

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