Flu Outbreaks Expected to Worsen

Flu has struck in 15 states in the last two months and outbreaks are expected to get worse in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Although the government doesn’t have a count of victims yet, most of the outbreaks involved one person or just a few people, said Nancy Arden of the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases. “Even though it’s past November, people who have not gotten their vaccines can and should,” Arden said. The vaccine protects against both flu strains that have people feeling miserable this year--Type A. Wuhan and Type B. Wuhan can kill. If elderly people or the chronically ill get that strain, they are more likely to get pneumonia or other serious illnesses. Outbreaks in at least four of the 15 states are blamed on Wuhan. Outbreaks have occurred in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Washington state and Wisconsin.