Communities seeing rapid increase in flu activity across the U.S.





News Release - English [ [link removed] ]




*For immediate release:*?November 22, 2022????? ??????????????????????? ??????????? (22-171)

*Contact:* DOH Communications <[email protected]>

*DOH strongly urges individuals get vaccinated to prevent spread of flu*

Communities seeing rapid increase in flu activity across the U.S.

*OLYMPIA*???The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) wants the public to know flu [ [link removed] ] cases are rising quickly in Washington state and nationwide. Flu hospitalizations are at the?highest rates seen in 10 years for this point in the year. In the last two weeks, DOH is reporting high cases [ [link removed] ] of flu-like illnesses in Washington.

Flu illness can have serious health consequences, especially for people who are under five years old, age 65 or older, pregnant, immunocompromised, or have chronic health conditions.

In addition to the flu, other respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19 [ [link removed] ] and RSV [ [link removed] ], are combining to push our hospitals to emergency capacity. Help keep yourself and your community healthy by getting a flu vaccine and taking other measures to prevent illness.

?Our state?s pediatric healthcare system is overloaded with extremely high numbers of children with respiratory infections,? said Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, chief science officer for DOH. ?Families urgently need to do everything they can to keep everyone healthy and avoid the need for healthcare, and flu vaccination is one of the most important prevention tools.?

Following the proper prevention and hygiene practices can halt the spread of respiratory illnesses. Washington State Department of Health recommends:


* Get vaccinated. Vaccination is your best defense against flu and COVID-19.?
* Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer when soap is not available, and hands are not visibly soiled.
* Consider wearing a mask in crowded settings.
* If you are sneezing or coughing, wear a mask or use the crook of your arm or a tissue to avoid getting germs onto your hands or spreading virus in the air.
* Avoid close contact with sick individuals.
* If you feel sick, stay home.

The most common strain so far is influenza A (H3N2). This strain typically causes more severe disease. All available flu vaccines provide protection against H3N2.

DOH strongly recommends everyone aged 6 months and older get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. It takes two weeks for the flu vaccine to be effective making it a key time to get vaccinated before people get together for the December holidays. If you get the flu when you are vaccinated, it?s typically milder and the vaccine can prevent serious complications including hospital care.

The flu vaccine is available at most pharmacies, health care providers? offices, and clinics. State employees are eligible to receive SmartHealth points for receiving a flu vaccine. The flu vaccine can be received on the same day as the updated COVID-19 updated booster and other vaccines.

Find out more at?KnockOutFlu.org [ [link removed] ].

The DOH?website [ [link removed] ] is your source for "a healthy dose of information". Find us on Facebook [ [link removed] ] and follow us on Twitter [ [link removed] ]. Sign up for the DOH blog,?Public Health Connection [ [link removed] ].?

###

________________________________________________________________________

Visit the DOH Newsroom [ [link removed] ]?for all news releases.?
Subscribe to get news releases in Spanish [ [link removed] ].?You will continue to receive the English version.
Washington State Department of Health [ [link removed] ] is your source for a healthy dose of information.?







________________________________________________________________________

Twitter [ [link removed] ]? ??Facebook [ [link removed] ]? ? Instagram [ [link removed] ] ? ? Youtube [ [link removed] ]? ? Medium [ [link removed] ]? ? Govdelivery [ [link removed] ]

To request this document in another format, call 1-800-525-0127.
Deaf or hard of hearing customers, please call 711 (Washington Relay) or
email [email protected]

*Manage Subscriptions [ [link removed] ]? |? Unsubscribe [ [link removed] ]? |? Help [ [link removed] ]*

Department of Health logo [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Washington State Department of Health ??101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]