LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Health officials are highly encouraging everyone to get vaccinated against the flu, as they expect this flu season could be rough.
The Kentucky Department of Public Health is tracking 154 lab-confirmed flu cases in the state since August. And local doctors and pediatricians are seeing cases in their offices daily.
“Unfortunately, we are already seeing cases of the flu, which is early on for this season,” said Dr. April Mattingly, a pediatrician with Norton Children’s Crestwood. “So I’m anticipating it’s going to be pretty tough.”
Health experts in the U.S. track Australia’s flu season as a template for what we can expect here. And Australia just experienced one of its worst flu seasons on record. So Mattingly is encouraging patients to get the vaccine as soon as possible.
"Get it now,” she said. “The American Academy of Pediatrics says by the end of October.”
Last year, the vast majority of flu cases were reported as A strain, and the vaccine that year did not do a good job at matching those strains. Mattingly said doctors are hoping this year’s vaccine will be more effective.
“We have to make our best scientific guess when formulating the flu vaccine," she said. "So this year, they have improved upon the two predominant A strains. The B strains remain the same in the vaccine. So hopefully, that will help protect us this year a little bit better."
Mattingly emphasized the seriousness of the flu: Adults and children die each year.
“No child should die from something that’s preventable,” she said. “We know of the 116 pediatric deaths last year from the flu, about 70 of those who could’ve gotten the vaccine did not.”
Click here to monitor the state’s flu activity. The first report will be issues Oct. 11.
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