Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Buckle Up, This Flu Season Could Be Long And Vicious
Health officials are warning that the United States may have an unusually harsh flu season this year. But they stress that flu seasons are notoriously difficult to predict, and it's far too early to know for sure what may happen. The concern stems from several factors, including signs that the season started a few weeks earlier than usual. "When you have an early start with regional outbreaks, that is generally not a good sign," says Anthony Fauci, who directs the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. "Sometimes that's the forerunner of a serious season." (Stein, 12/8)
The Arizona Department of Health Services has reported 1,143 cases of influenza, spanning all 15 counties, so far this flu season. One infant has died in Maricopa County. State data shows significantly more flu cases this year than at this time last year. (Del Rio, 12/8)
Flu numbers are rising in Wyoming, with the highest levels reported in the southwestern corner of the state. The Wyoming Department of Health’s Kim Deti said people should keep common-sense measures in mind to help slow or prevent spreading the flu. (Mullen, 12/8)
Two hundred and fifty-seven Ohioans have been hospitalized for the flu so far this season, above the five-year average for this period. But the Ohio Department of Health says it's not too late to get a vaccine to prevent the illness. (Segall, 12/8)
Georgia is one of seven states overall — most of them in the Southeast — that have reported “widespread’’ flu activity, according to a new CDC report, tracking the week ending Dec. 2. ...The Georgia Department of Public Health said Friday that there have been 47 influenza-associated hospitalizations in the eight-county metro Atlanta area so far this season. (Miller, 12/9)
If a new flu pandemic emerges, it may be easy to spot. The epidemic is most likely to appear in spring or summer, researchers have found — not in the midwinter depths of the flu season. Normally flu strikes in winter, when children are crowded into classrooms and the air is cold and dry — ideal for transmitting the influenza virus. But historically, that has not been true of the great flu epidemics. (McNeil, 12/8)
