Flu is here!
We had our first clearly positive flu patient, a 2 year old who had one dose of injectable vaccine, with a 102 degree fever and no other signs. The rapid flu test was clearly positive for Flu type B.
Take home message:
(1) CDC recommends 2 doses of flu vaccine, 1 month apart, for certain patients, such as those under 9 years of age receiving the vaccine for the first time;
(2) Injectable vaccine is less effective than the nasal vaccine in preventing flu, but it is highly effective at preventing complications and hospitalizations;
(3) We have both, and will be happy to help you to select the right one for your needs.
(4) Two resources to find out about flu activity in our area:
http://www.google.org/flutrends/
http://cdc.gov/flu/weekly/
Stay healthy!