Flu season is heating up and Louisiana leads the nation in flu activity.
State Immunization Director Dr. Frank Welch says nearly six in every hundred visits to clinics, doctors’ offices, and other healthcare providers in Louisiana were for flu-like symptoms.
“Unfortunately Louisiana is currently leading the nation in flu cases, we’re at about 5.8%, which is significantly above everybody else,” says Welch.
Most of the cases seem to be focused in south Louisiana, particularly New Orleans and the North Shore.
While the cases are piling up, thankfully most of them do not appear to be the more serious A-strain of the flu.
“It’s one of these B-strains that has really come out strong in Louisiana,” says Welch.
It’s a packed weekend of football, and Welch says it normally takes seven to nine days for the shot to become fully effective, but you should still get it taken care of before you head out for the games.
“Let’s say you did go get your flu shot tomorrow, then you went to the game and you did sit right next to somebody with the flu, you might get the flu but that case of the flu would be significantly less,” says Welch.
Welch says most insurance covers the cost of vaccines, and local public health units also carry the shots for free as well.
