Where is the Flu?

Could the mild winter weather be keeping the flu at bay? Or, did people heed physicians’ advice and get their vaccinations this season?

Or, like winter itself, maybe the flu is lurking on the horizon and just hasn’t arrived, yet, in Illinois.

Whatever the reason, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, reports Illinois as one of 10 states in the country with “no influenza activity.”

The CDC’s most recent influenza map, ending Dec. 24, shows most other states reporting sporadic flu activity, and only Colorado showing regional outbreaks.

“This has been a very mild flu season so far,” said Debra Quackenbush, community information coordinator for the McHenry County Department of Health, based in Woodstock. “Typically, the flu peaks sometime between mid-January and early February.”

Quackenbush said influenza viruses tend to thrive in cold weather.

The warm weather could be preventing the traditional outbreak. Also, some health professionals are suggesting the flu vaccination administered this year appears to be a good match for the viruses circulating, Quackenbush said.

“The vaccinations are made a good six to eight months before the flu season because they take a long time to make,” Quackenbush said. “The people who decide which vaccinations to make look in other parts of the world and estimate what viruses might be coming to the states the next season.”

Still Time To Get A Flu Shot

The good news, Quackenbush added, is that there is still time for people to get a flu shot, if they haven’t already. The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the “first and most important” step to protecting against flu viruses.

According to the CDC, anyone six months old and older should be vaccinated.

High-risk groups –people who develop the most flu-related complications - include pregnant women, children under five and especially children younger than two years old, persons 65 and older, and those with chronic medical conditions.

Once vaccinated, it takes about two weeks for the body’s immune system to build a resistance to the flu viruses. Most doctors and area pharmacies still have flu vaccination doses available, Quackenbush said. The county health department depleted its supply, however.

“If people still can’t find a flu shot, they should call us and we will find it for them,” Quackenbush said.

Whooping Cough Cases Continue to Rise

The respite from the seasonal influenza is a welcome break for McHenry County, still struggling with a record outbreak of whooping cough illnesses. On Wednesday, the county officially reported 266 confirmed cases of the disease.  A previous countywide outbreak in 2004 had 191 cases total.

“We’re still seeing an increase in whooping cough illnesses in children in the six to 10-year-old category,” Quackenbush said.

Both the whooping cough – also known as pertussis – and the flu are very contagious. To avoid both, people should adhere to the following three rules, she said:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Cover your cough.
3. Stay home when you are sick – especially in the case of the whooping cough.