By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Flu season is here, but this isn't a normal flu season.
Buchanan County Health Department Clinic Supervisor Holly Leslie says this year, flu numbers are on the rise earlier than usual.
"Flu really hit our community faster this year, we usually don't see a rise in flu cases quite this early on in the flu year, but we're seeing a lot of cases, we're seeing a lot of hospitalizations," Leslie tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "We're seeing a huge uptick in people who report that they're having fevers that aren't responding to medication and flu like symptoms."
Leslie says many people will normally write off flu like symptoms with many other things happening around this time of year, such as sinus problems and the weather changes.
In November this year Leslie says 792 flu cases were reported and as of last week there were already 303 cases in December, that's compared to only seven cases in November of last year and just under 200 in December.
Across the river in Doniphan County, it's not much better. Supervisor Sheryl Pierce at the clinic in Troy says they are also seeing an uptick in cases, however in Kansas the reporting is a little different
"In the state of Kansas influenza is not a reportable disease, COVID is, but influenza A and B are not a reportable disease but they are in Missouri," Pierce says. "So, we continue to get information from Mosaic especially on the number of influenza cases that have seen a Mosaic provider."
Pierce says from those numbers at least 15 to 20 flu cases a week are being seen.
Pierce says while most of the people 50 and older received their flu shot, the case numbers show many people getting the flu are under 50.
"A lot of them are four-year olds, and six-year olds, and eight-year olds, nine-year olds, and 11 year olds that have this influenza A not vaccinated where this vaccine is helpful," Pierce explains. "You need to get the vaccine in the arms to prevent hospitalization especially."
Pierce says it's not normal for the low number of flu shots under 50 with the health clinic going into schools, but this year she estimates only around 12 shots were given.