Arizona’s last influenza season was record breaking. More than 35,000 people in Arizona were reported to be sick with flu – more people than during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic! Similarly, the rest of the country was hit hard last season with nearly one million Americans hospitalized and over 80,000 dying from flu. Getting your influenza [...]
The 2018–2019 influenza season has arrived in Arizona! Since the beginning of October, Arizona had 56 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza reported from 10 counties, compared to 16 cases typically seen at this time of year. This means if you and your family have not been vaccinated for this season, now is the time. The influenza [...]
We expect to see flu cases, hospitalizations, and even some deaths every year, but recent data from the CDC shows that this season may be a little different than the past few flu seasons. First, the flu strain causing the most cases so far this year is Influenza A (H3N2). Flu seasons in which H3 [...]
Every year the World Health Organization holds a meeting with worldwide experts to make recommendations for the next season’s Northern Hemisphere flu vaccine. It seems strange to plan for next season when we’re still in the midst of the current flu season, but the vaccine-making process still takes about 6 months. Influenza season generally ramps [...]
It’s almost that time of year… flu season. Flu shots have arrived and are already in many pharmacies and doctor’s offices, meaning you can already get vaccinated before the flu hits this season. There’s a wide array of influenza vaccine choices these days - more than ever. The nasal spray is approved for healthy, non-pregnant people between [...]
This year’s flu really packed a wallop all across the country. In Arizona we’ve had almost 250% more cases than last year so far. But the good news is, this week’s flu report shows we’re on the downhill slope. We’ve seen fewer new cases in the past couple weeks - but it’s not completely gone. [...]
Guess which one of our ADHS Websites consistently has the most hits. Our influenza pages during flu season? Medical marijuana during our rulemaking? Questions about WIC eligibility? Nope. It’s our Genealogy website. The site has had more than 5,100,000 queries in the last 2 years. Our Vital Records team has been keeping data on birth and [...]
The Southern Hemisphere has its flu season during our Summer- so every year around now we watch influenza activity “down under” to get an idea of what we might expect for our upcoming flu season. Here’s the scoop right now. Flu south of the equator has already peaked and continues to decline. There’s been a [...]
Most people think that when the weather warms up, we can stop worrying about the flu. But it’s still here. Recently, a young Gila County child died from influenza. It's the only pediatric death from flu in Arizona this year, last year 5 children under 18 died. Adult flu deaths are not tracked by the [...]
During the 2009- 2010 influenza pandemic, we saw how influenza can be unpredictable in terms of who it affects most, when it occurs, and what strains will circulate. This season is no exception. While the circulating strains are exactly what we had predicted, the peak of the flu season is hitting later than usual… and [...]
