The Arizona Department of Health Services is reporting that Arizona joined the ranks of 46 other states that are having “widespread” influenza activity last week. “We’ve had 2,316 cases reported so far this season, with 761 of those being reported in the last week,” reports ADHS director Will Humble.
According to Humble, flu cases are up 130 percent more than this time last year. With H3N2 the predominant strain (a particularly dangerous one), this flu season could be a hard one… especially given that the H3N2 component in this year’s flu vaccine isn’t perfectly matched with the strain in the community. Flu vaccines, even if imperfectly matched, are still the best protection against influenza.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also active right now, according to Humble. “So far, Arizona has had 819 cases reported this season, a 208 percent increase from this time last year. Like every year, most of our cases are in kids under the age of 5, so it’s really important to keep your little ones healthy by washing their hands often, keeping them away from other sick kids, and keeping them at home when they’re sick.”