Log In


Reset Password
Southwest Life Health And the West is History Community Travel

As leaves turn, flu season returns

Season typically lasts from the early fall to the late spring

Flu season is back, and medical professionals recommend residents receive immunizations to prevent the spread of the illness.

Claire Ninde, interim assessment, planning and communications director at the San Juan Basin Health Department, said although the general consensus was that last year was a bad flu season, La Plata County did not get hit hard.

During the last flu season, which generally runs from early fall to late spring, there were zero cases of pediatric deaths and only 14 cases of individuals hospitalized because of the flu.

“In public health, we track the hospitalizations and pediatric deaths associated with flu, but we do not have numbers for the effect of flu on the community as a whole,” Ninde said.

Victor Lopez, medical director at La Plata Integrated Healthcare, said it’s hard to predict how bad the upcoming flu season will be, but he’s not aware of any new circulating viruses or specific warnings.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty standard flu season,” he said. “If you’re a susceptible person, you definitely want to get yourself protected.”

Lopez recommended getting an immunization as early as possible to allow time for the immune system to strengthen.

“It’s not good to wait till you start seeing people getting sick,” he said.

Medical professionals have long supported the use of flu vaccines, despite some people’s concerns about its efficacy and possible long- and/or short-term side effects.

“There’s more evidence coming down on the side of getting the vaccine,” Lopez said. “No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but it doesn’t need to be if it’s in the 70 percent range. That’s enough to disrupt transmission in a community.”

Lopez added that many of the concerns and allegations against the flu vaccine have been debunked: The shot can’t cause the flu; mercury, which is used as a preservative, is not commonly used anymore; and natural immunity still leaves you vulnerable to different types of strains.

Cecile Fraley, pediatrician and CEO of Pediatric Partners of the Southwest, said she has that conversation with parents often.

“That’s a conversation that comes up all the time about vaccines,” she said. “We recommend kids, especially high-risk kids, receive the immunization.”

Fraley said some people are inherently against vaccines or have the idea that if you’re healthy, your body will naturally be able to fight off the flu.

“It’s such a personal thing in terms of why people don’t like to vaccinate,” she said.

Fraley said for kids who don’t like the idea of a shot, medical professionals now offer a nasal spray to supplant an injection. While a shot is not a live vaccine, and therefore only lasts one winter, the nasal spray is a live vaccine that creates antibodies that last forever.

“The vast majority of kids get through influenza well, but if you have an underlying health issue, you’re more at risk for having complications from the flu,” Fraley said.

While La Plata County survived last year’s flu season relatively unscathed, the state reported the highest number of hospitalizations since they started being recorded in 2004-05.

Colorado hospitals saw 3,397 patients from 56 counties as a result of the flu, and a total of 142 influenza-associated outbreaks. Also, six pediatric deaths were reported.

“We encourage residents to receive their immunizations in their medical home, with their primary care provider, to ensure that their care is well coordinated and is a partnership between them and their health-care provider,” Ninde said.

Flu vaccines are available at most medical care facilities, with most already offering the shot or spray.

Ninde said flu shots are covered under the Affordable Care Act, and for most people, the immunization will be free.

jromeo@durangoherald.com



Reader Comments