ASHLAND —
Students headed back to school in Boyd County are bringing something besides books home with them: the flu.
This week, the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department reported the first culture-confirmed cases of influenza in the state, signaling an early start to flu season. Authorities are recommending earlier than normal vaccination against the flu.
Flu season typically begins in October or November, but sometimes low level of flu activity can begin as early as late summer, said Kristy Bolen, senior regional epidemiologist. “I don’t think this means it is going to be a really bad flu season; I think it means we have some really good clinicians out there who picked up that this was a flu-like illness and cultured it,” she said.
“It’s just run of the mill, seasonal flu,” said Bolen. All the confirmed cases are the H3N2 strain included in this year’s influenza vaccine. She emphasized no cases of the H3N2 variant strain linked to swine flu found in Ohio have been identified in Kentucky.
“Most of the cases we’ve seen in the area have been in children, which is what you typically see,” she said. “Once school starts back and you get kids back together after being apart all summer, they really share germs fast and we start to see illness in the community.
“With children returning to classrooms this month, it is important to discuss proper handwashing and cough covering to prevent the spread of illness in schools. It is also important that parents keep children home until their fever has been gone for 24 hours without the use of medication.”
Bolen encouraged vaccination against the flu, noting local pharmacies and some doctors offices are beginning to get the vaccines. The health department is scheduled to begin doling out vaccines in the coming week as well, she said.
“Vaccination can be given any time during the flu season. Even if you received a flu shot last year, you will need one this year for optimal protection, Bolen said.
The influenza vaccine is highly recommended for ages 6 months to 19 years, pregnant women, ages 50 and older, all ages with chronic health problems, those who work in long-term-care facilities and health-care workers and caregivers of those in a high-risk category.
Symptoms of the flu include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and body aches. Approximately 23,000 deaths are attributed to the flu and flu complications each year.
CARRIE STAMBAUGH can be reached at cstambaugh@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.
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Flu season starts early
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