H1N1 Still Out and About

Even though it's the middle of April, people are still getting sick from the H1N1 virus. The best way to prevent getting the flu is though vaccination. Free vaccines are still available at all Utah local health departments.

Last week there were some reports in the news about an increase in the number of H1N1 cases and the number of H1N1 related hospitalizations in Georgia and other states in the south. Some health professionals wondered if this may be the first indications of a third wave of H1N1 disease. The following image from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows the impact of H1N1 for the week ending April 3, 2010. Notice the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Hawaii and the territory of Puerto Rico show the highest levels of influenza activity.

CDC released an updated report this week showing influenza activity has decreased nationwide, including some of the southern states that had experienced an increase the week before. One working theory for the increase of flu activity in Georgia and other southern states is because they had a lower vaccination rate than other states. The image below shows influenza activity for the week ending April 10, 2010.

Weekly updates on influenza activity can be viewed at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/.