Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center reports 'little activity' on flu front

Flu season hasn't hit Southeast Missouri hard yet and there's plenty of vaccine to go around, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center's infectious disease coordinator said Thursday.

Across all of Missouri through last Saturday, 48 flu cases had been reported. Of those, two were in Cape Girardeau County and one was in Perry County. Tests in additional cases are underway, said Vanessa Landers of the health department.

The peak time for flu is usually the latter half of January, Landers said.

"We are still reporting very little activity as far as Cape County," Landers said.

So far this year, 18 counties in Missouri have reported at least one case of the flu. That's about average, said Eden Dietle, communicable diseases surveillance manager with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The county health department is offering flu shots at a cost of $20, with the shots provided at no charge to people on Medicare or Medicaid, Landers said. A clinic will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at Sam's Club off Siemers Drive. Flu shots are also available at the county health center, 1121 Linden St., during normal business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that older people, people with compromised immune systems and people with chronic conditions such as asthma should receive the shot.

The health center also has the flu vaccine mist, but that is recommended only for people from age 2 to 49.

The vaccine mist tends to induce mild symptoms because it uses a weakened live virus to induce immunity. The flu shot uses a dead virus. Either way, Landers said getting vaccinated now is a good idea.

"We have plenty this year," she said. "It is just better to prevent things."

Internet search provider Google has a new service it claims can show the spread of the flu earlier than health agencies by tracking where people looking for information about flu symptoms are. The tracking program, based on comparisons with CDC data, shows that outbreaks can be detected up to two weeks in advance of health agency reporting.

The U.S. map on the site Thursday showed that moderate outbreaks could be occurring in many Southeastern states, including Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. With Thanksgiving travel coming up, a flu shot now could pay off. It takes about two weeks to build up a full-strength resistance to the flu, she said.

"People really need to get it," she said. "We have got plenty, and it will hit. We just don't know exactly when."

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

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