So far this year, influenza activity on a national scale has been relatively low, keeping it out of the mainstream media and in the back of the mind of most Americans. But local health department flu activities are ongoing, and cases of severe influenza are increasing. California, Maryland, Massachusetts, and North Carolina reported widespread flu activity last week and another 14 states and Puerto Rico reported regional flu activity.
The CDC is reminding providers of the value of antivirals in combating influenza, as well as noting that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine, particularly since the strains of influenza collected and characterized so far are antigenically similar to the vaccines currently in use. Flu vaccine reminders may be even more important for supporters of the teams in this weekend’s Super Bowl.
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