The flu season, or better the influenza season, generally runs from late fall to early spring of each year in northern temperate regions. Why this is the case is somewhat unclear, but consensus of opinion is that this is the season where people move indoors and there is more opportunity for person-to-person droplet spread of the influenza virus by coughing and sneezing.
I really dislike the term flu as slang for influenza because I feel it takes away from the uniqueness and seriousness of this disease, and lumps it with all the other viral illnesses we see in the office. Influenza is a specific set of viruses, influenza A and influenza B, that cause both seasonal and epidemic outbreaks of illness. In many people influenza can seem like a more severe but still minor illness with just fever, chills, headache, cough and runny nose. In others it can be devastatingly severe, with pneumonia, multiple organ system failure and death.
I’ve posted before about influenza and you may want to read 12 Basic Rules of Influenza or Avoid Getting Sick.
For the last two years, 2009 and 2010, the peak incidence of influenza in the US has been early, with the H1N1 swine influenza pandemic of 2010 starting exceptionally early in the late summer. Last year we as a nation have been immunized at a rate never seen before, and if our clinic’s experience this year is typical of the US, this year will be another banner year for immunization rates. Whether this “herd immunity” explains the slow start to this year’s flu season, or there is some other explanation this year has been an unusually light influenza season so far. That may be changing, as the CDC is showing more influenza cases over the last few weeks than were seen early in the season. One of our local infectious disease consultants just sent out a notice that there has been a big local upswing in influenza A cases, and told us that they are essentially all H1N1, and still sensitive to Tamiflu.
So if you still have not had your influenza vaccine this year, you should dash to your doctor or pharmacist to get it now. Check the CDC widget below to see the current status or influenza in your state.
Leave a comment if you have any thoughts on the late flu season this year.