Flu Increasing In MA, Worsening Nationwide, CDC Says

At least 22 children have died from flu-related causes so far this flu season, as the disease is now widespread across the country, according to the latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Massachusetts on Friday reported "increasing" flu activity, including some 1,400 new cases confirmed in the last week.

Massachusetts, one of 17 states reporting "high" flu activity to the CDC, has confirmed 6,700 cases so far in the 2018-19 flu season. The flu situation was worst in the northeast and southeast parts of the state but less severe in Boston and the west metro area.

The latest figures released Friday by the CDC are current for the third week of January, which ended Jan. 19. The CDC said in a statement earlier this month that while it’s not possible to predict how severe the 2018-19 season will be, severity indicators are lower than they were at the same point during the 2017-18 flu season.

FDA Director Scott Gottlieb has said that the H1N1 of swine flu strain tends to peak late in the season, but that the current vaccine is 60 percent effective or more against it.

According to the CDC's latest data on influenza-like illness (ILI), New York City and 18 states have high flu activity. However, the ILI surveillance does not measure geographic spread, so the CDC cautions that outbreaks in a single city could cause a state to have high flu activity.

The flu can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death. The groups most at risk are older adults, very young children, pregnant women and those with certain chronic medical conditions, according to the CDC.

You can use the CDC’s flu vaccine finder to locate a pharmacy or clinic near you that provides the vaccine:

According to the CDC, symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills (Though not everyone with flu will have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

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