Flu Season Is Coming!!

Flu season is coming!

Champlain Medical Urgent Care has been seeing an increase in cases of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) these past few weeks.  This is common in the weeks before a flu epidemic, so now is a good time to get your flu shot.  According to the CDC you should get a flu vaccine before flu begins spreading in your community. The CDC monitors certain key flu indicators (for example, outpatient visits of influenza-like illness (ILI), the results of laboratory testing and reports of flu hospitalizations and deaths). When these indicators rise and remain elevated for a number of consecutive weeks, “flu season” is said to have begun. Usually ILI increases first, followed by an increase in flu-associated hospitalizations, which is then followed by increases in flu-associated deaths. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against flu to develop in the body, so make plans to get vaccinated early in the fall, before flu season begins.  

Encourage your loved ones to get vaccinated. Vaccination is especially important for people at high risk for developing flu complications (the very young, the elderly, those with immune disorders, cardiovascular or pulmonary illnesses), and their close contacts.  Children younger than six months are too young to get a flu vaccine, so if you live with or care for a young infant, you should get a flu vaccine to protect them. Also, if you have a loved one who is at high risk of flu complications and they develop flu symptoms, encourage them to get a medical evaluation for possible treatment with flu antiviral drugs. These drugs work best if given within 48 hours of when symptoms start. CDC recommends that people who are at high risk for serious flu complications and who get flu symptoms during flu season be treated with flu antiviral drugs as quickly as possible without waiting for confirmatory testing.

In addition to getting vaccinated, you and your loved ones can take precautions like staying away from sick people and washing your hands to reduce the spread of germs. If you are sick with flu, stay home from work or school to prevent spreading flu to others until your fever has been gone for over 24 hours.

For the most current influenza surveillance information, please see FluView at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

*Come in to get a flu shot at our clinic during our office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am-6:00pm. No appointment is necessary!*