Allentown Diocese taking flu precautions

With flu season in full swing, the Catholic Diocese of Allentown is suspending two elements of Mass until further notice.

Starting this weekend, parishioners will forego the sign of peace — a gesture that often involves a kiss or handshake — and the optional drinking from the chalice of consecrated wine at Communion.

The state Department of Health said the first week of the year proved a bad one for the flu in Pennsylvania, and particularly the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties.

The department's influenza report for the week ending Jan. 5 recorded high flu activity of “widespread” nature and surpassing the “epidemic threshold” for the region.

Flu season tends to peak around January or later, according to the department. There are still four or five months to go before this season can be weighed against last year's, during which a record 256 people died in Pennsylvania.

Since the beginning of flu season in October, there have been 9,268 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases, from 66 of 67 counties, including 10 adult deaths.

Last season, the flu vaccine proved ineffective against the dominant strain and more than 121,300 flu cases were reported — 50,000 more than the previous season.

daniel.sheehan@mcall.com Twitter @lvstories 610-820-6598