Fayette County Health Department encourages flu shots
Tuesday, Kevin Hall, the spokesperson for the Fayette County Health Department, reported the first two lab-confirmed flu cases of the season.
Lexington, Ky (WTVQ): Flu season is officially underway. Tuesday, Kevin Hall, the spokesperson for the Fayette County Health Department, reported the first two lab-confirmed cases of the season.
According to the health department, between five to 10% of the population gets the flu every year. So, in Lexington that looks like “anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 people getting sick from the flu, and only 3,000 of those getting confirmed at the lab,” Hall said.
Typically, in a year, they’ll see 500 to 1,000 of lab confirmed cases, but last year, the health department reported nearly 3,500 cases, with 16 flu-related deaths. “That’s a very high number,” Hall said. “Usually, we have anywhere between five to ten flu related deaths, and even that is too many.”
According to the department, about 80 percent of those cases were people who were ‘not’ vaccinated.
“For those 20 percent who still got sick, it is very, very likely that they had milder symptoms,” Hall said.
However, Hall says, you’re also less likely to end up hospitalized if you’ve been vaccinated. “No vaccine like that is going to 100 percent keep you from getting sick, but, the other benefits including milder symptoms are so important,” he said.
Health officials are encouraging flu shots for everyone six months and older. Hall recommends you get the flu shot now, since it takes about two weeks for full immunity to build up. The health department is hosting a ‘free’ flu shot clinic next Thursday, October 12th, at Central Baptist Church, on Wilson Downing Road. If you are interested, pre-registration is required here: 2023 Free Flu Shot Clinic
