The “super flu” strain, also called an influenza A(H3N2) subclade K variant, may not necessarily be more powerful, it’s just that fewer people have immunities against it, according to Vanderhoff.
“Most Ohioans are coming into this flu season without much in the way of protection against this strain of the flu,” Vandhoff said. “We have very little background immunity as a population, and this lack of immunity is allowing this strain of the flu to spread quickly.”
Children under 11 years old and adults 65 and older are most at risk for getting very sick, Vanderoff said.
A 16-year-old Beavercreek girl was the state’s first pediatric flu-related death of the season, Vanderhoff reported on Dec. 31.
“Our hearts go out to that family,” Vanderhoff said Wednesday. “In Ohio, unfortunately, we typically see between one and eight pediatric flu deaths each year.”
Nationwide, there have been nine total pediatric deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The rate of flu-related hospitalizations nationwide is 28.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 people, according to the CDC, with 33,301 flu patients admitted to the hospital across the U.S. during the week ending Dec. 27, the most recent week of data available.
For that same week, 1,465 Ohioans were hospitalized due to the flu, up from 745 the prior week and more than double the historical average of 665.
A spike in cases this time of year is not unusual, Vanderhoff said.
“The issue really is that we simply have more people coming down with the flu, more people vulnerable to the flu, and with more people overall coming down with the flu, more people are proportionately ending up in the hospital,” he said.
Vanderhoff addressed questions regarding the effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine, saying it still protects against severe illness that could lead to hospitalizations or death.
“Now, it’s not very good at protecting us necessarily from contracting the flu in the first place. But it appears, nevertheless, to still be good at helping to prevent your flu illness from becoming very severe and potentially landing you in the hospital,” Vanderhoff said.
People interested in getting the flu vaccine can call their doctor, a retail pharmacy or local health department.
Washing hands frequently, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers and covering coughs and sneezes can help prevent the flu from spreading. People should also avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
For more information on the flu, visit ODH’s website.
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