Flu season arrives in Grant County

MOSES LAKE — Flu season is now upon us, and the Grant County Health District is urging everyone six months and older to get a flu shot.

According to Heather Massart, a health district spokesperson, the district “is receiving an increased number of reported flu cases,” especially among children and young people in school.

“Multiple Grant County schools have reported high absenteeism rates due to flu and flu-like illnesses,” Massart said in a district news release. “Washington state has had four laboratory-confirmed influenza deaths that have been reported thus far in the 2018-2019 season.”

None of those deaths have been in Grant County, Massart added.

Speaking at a regular meeting of the Grant County Health District Board of Directors, county health officer Alexander Brzezny while this year’s influenza season is several weeks old, the vaccine appears to be particularly effective so far this year, matching the Influenza-A virus that seems to be the agent of this year’s epidemic.

“We get five to six a day just in the walk-in,” said David Curnel, a practicing physician, the deputy mayor of Moses Lake, and the city’s representative on the health district board. “Only one so far was vaccinated.”

“Some years, the virus penetrates through the vaccine,” Brzezny said.

During last year’s particularly tough flu outbreak, Brzezny said around 12,500 Grant County resident contracted influenza, with 25 of those dying from the disease.

According to Massart, during last year’s flu season, 48.8 million Americans got sick, nearly 1 million were hospitalized and 79,400 died.

In addition to getting a flu vaccine, Massart said those sick with flu symptoms should stay home if they are sick, and everyone should wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water.

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

If you haven’t yet gotten vaccinated, it’s still not too late, Brzezny said, adding that a flu shot, even at this point, would still convey some protection. Vaccines are available at most major pharmacies, as well as moist doctors’ offices, and are covered by most insurance plans.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.