Flu cases decrease, still behind U.S. average
Flu cases decreased in Michigan for the week ending on Jan 8, remaining behind the national average.
A total of 1,368 patient visits due to influenza-like illness was reported out of 74,995 office visits in Michigan for the week ended Jan. 8. That is a 1.8% ILI activity rate for the state which is down from 2.1% a week ago.
It is up from 0.7% one year ago according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services which releases the numbers weekly during flu season. Flu cases were abnormally low last season because of precautions taken for COVID such as mask wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene.
Comparatively, the number nationally is 4.3% of outpatient visits that were due to ILI. That is slightly higher than the previous week when it was 3.8%.
ILI is defined as a fever (higher than 100 degrees) and a cough and/or a sore throat without a known cause other than influenza.
Michiganders are reminded to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible to protect themselves and their communities from flu especially while continuing to battle COVID-19. Flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be administered at the same time, according to the MDHHS.
Michigan’s goal is to vaccinate 4 million residents against the flu. As of Jan. 8, 2.820,166 doses have been administered (75% towards goal) for the 2021-2022 flu season. Last flu season, approximately 3.5 million people in Michigan received a flu vaccine as reported to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry.
Children are considered to be especially vulnerable to developing complications from influenza that may result in hospitalization or death according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Everyone 6 months and older is recommended for an annual influenza vaccination. Find where to get a flu vaccine at www.vaccinefinder.org.
Nationally, three influenza-associated pediatric deaths have been reported thus far for the 2021-2022 flu season. No pediatric deaths have been confirmed by MDHHS for the 2021-2022 flu season to date.
A CDC study shows that overall, influenza vaccine administration increased 9.0% in 2020 when compared to the average influenza administration in 2018 and 2019. However, when examining data by age, children aged 6 through 23 months old saw a 13.9% decrease. Similarly, children aged 2 through 4 years old saw a 11.9% decline in influenza vaccination rate.
Flu shots will not prevent COVID-19 but will help reduce the risk of flu-related illness including hospitalization and death, according to the Oakland County Health Division. Getting a flu vaccine will not only reduce your risk from flu, but also lessen the burden on the healthcare system this winter.