Home » Immunization News » The 2019-20 Flu Season Update

The 2019-20 Flu Season Update

Breaking News: The 2019-2020 season is well underway, but flu activity has “declined slightly.” (see below)

It is way too early to tell if flu season has peaked...
It is way too early to tell if flu season has peaked…

Flu season started early this year.

The 2019-20 Flu Season Update

That’s not the only surprise though. We are seeing a lot of flu B, which is also unusual for the beginning of flu season.

And we are already seeing quite a few pediatric deaths – 39 so far this season.

The overall cumulative hospitalization rate was 19.9 per 100,000 population which is similar to what has been seen during recent previous influenza seasons at this time of year.
The overall cumulative hospitalization rate was 19.9 per 100,000 population which is similar to what has been seen during recent previous influenza seasons at this time of year.

But none of this should really be a surprise – it’s flu season, which is always unpredictable.

“It’s not too late to get vaccinated. Flu vaccination is always the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications.”

Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report

Some things to know to about this year’s flu season include that:

  • the most active flu B virus strains belong to a sublade that was not in the flu vaccine, but is similar enough that getting vaccinated should offer protection
  • again, it is never too late to get a flu vaccine. Remember, a yearly flu vaccine is recommended for everyone without a contraindication who is at least six months old, with younger children getting two doses during their first season.
  • anti-viral flu medications (Tamiflu, Relenza, and Xofluza) are available, but are mainly recommended for those who are at high risk for serious flu complications, including young children (under 2 to 5 years of age), pregnant women, seniors, and those with chronic medical conditions, like asthma and diabetes, etc.
  • most people do not need a flu test, as it is possible to have a negative flu test and still have the flu (false positive test) and most people don’t need to be treated with anti-viral flu medications
  • if you get the flu, avoid others and seek medical attention if you develop any serious, emergency warning signs, like trouble breathing, dehydration, or confusion, etc.
  • people with the flu can generally return to school or work once they are fever free for at least 24 hours

And let’s hope we don’t see any other surprises this year…

More on the The 2019-20 Flu Season Update

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: