The flu is widespread throughout the country and in Arizona.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm
In the past two weeks we have seen more flu, in one compressed timeframe, than at any other time in my career.
The said, the flu is milder than in years past. We have sent ‘ZERO’ people from the office, to the hospital with pneumonia, which suggests to me that this is flu is less virulent than in previous seasons and that the flu shot this year was quite effective.
Many people who had the flu shot are still getting the flu this year, it is just much milder than it would have otherwise been. This is logical, as the flu shot this year has been confirmed as being made up of the subtypes of flu that are prevalent.
At this point, if you have not had the flu shot, it is a coin-toss whether you get the flu shot now. By the time it becomes active in your immune system, the flu season will have peaked, that is for certain. Whether the season will drag on, or not, is anybody’s guess.
See these graphs to compare this season to the last two and you will see the current one is not extraordinary, despite what the popular media would have you believe.
http://www.azdhs.gov/phs/oids/epi/flu/pdf/2012-2013/influenza-2012-13-week1.pdf
If you do get the flu now (cough, fever or no fever, aches, sore throat)….you can benefit form the TAMIFLU or RELENZA, the two anti-viral medications that will shorten the flu episode.
So….know what’s out there and know that all is going to be fine. Get your flu treatment if you get sick at this point, but not to worry.