Flu is here, Sedgwick County health department confirms

Local health officials have confirmed that the first cases of influenza, or flu, have come to the Wichita area.

U.S. health officials are concerned there may be increased illnesses and deaths because this year’s flu vaccine so far does not match this season’s predominant strain of the virus.

Symptoms of the flu include fever higher than 100.4 degrees, headache, dry cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, body aches, fatigue and weakness, officials say.

The percentage of people visiting the doctor for flu-like symptoms is higher than this time last year and the year before, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The most predominant strain circulating in the U.S. this year is influenza A (H3N2), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Local and federal health officials and health care workers recommend that all people over 6 months old have a flu shot unless told otherwise by their physician.

The vaccine is made up of three different strains that are predicted to circulate this year based on what circulated at the end of the last flu season.

Although about half of the H3N2 strains tested by the CDC did not match this season’s vaccine strain, some cross-protection can occur, according to county health officials, and a flu shot is still the best way to protect yourself and your family from becoming ill with the flu.

U.S. health officials worry the mismatch may lead to more serious illnesses and deaths, particularly because the predominant strain tends to cause more deaths and hospitalizations, especially in the elderly.

“Though we cannot predict what will happen the rest of this flu season, it’s possible we may have a season that’s more severe than most,” said Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, at a news conference Thursday.

CDC officials think the vaccine should provide some protection and still are urging people to get vaccinated. But it probably won’t be as good as if the vaccine strain was a match.

Effectiveness of the flu vaccine varies from year to year. Last winter, flu vaccine was 50 to 55 percent effective overall, which experts consider relatively good.

Among infectious diseases, flu is considered one of the nation’s leading killers. On average, about 24,000 Americans die each flu season, according to the CDC.

Nearly 150 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed for this winter’s flu season.

This story was originally published December 4, 2014 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Flu is here, Sedgwick County health department confirms."